Hidden Leaf Ninja: The Hidden Leaf Story
by CellCloneBot
Summary: Chapter 22: Reveals more of Shiro's (OC) encounter with Itachi, and his training with the Hokage. Continues with the mission to bring the Sand Genins to the Chuunin exam.
1. Prelude

**Hidden Leaf Ninja: The Hidden Leaf Story**  
  
**Prelude**  
  
The mission was over to accompany the Sand Genins participating in the Chuunin Exam to the Hidden Leaf Village alive. The immediate results were not worst than the upcoming invasion of the Sand Country and Sound Country during the final Chuunin Tournament. As for the immediate results, Aburame Shiro lost his life and was included on the memorial for Hidden Leaf Ninjas who lost their life on a special mission. Strictly, the mission would be called a mistake for bringing the Chuunin invasion's secret weapon into the village and very few dwelled on the fact that the team, lead by Morino Ibiki, a ANBU torture specialist, had prevented the S-rank former Hidden Leaf Ninja, Uchiha Itachi, from capturing Gaara. It was a mission that made victory impossible.  
  
Aburame Shino and his father stood looking at the memorial.  
  
"You have not won yet," Shino filled in his brother's name, "Uchiha Itachi."  
  
"And so the new cycle begins," his father stated.

And the old cycle will be revealed.


	2. Aburame Shinto

Prologue: This is a collection of stories of different situation along the Naruto plot line and focuses on lesser known characters as well as history of what villains were doing while the series had started.

* * *

**Aburame Shinto...**  
  
**Dreamy Warrior**  
  
_"This is the sacred rites of the Aburame clan, committed, as written on the wall scrolls hanging in their residence, to print.  
  
Closest born to the present will be proclaimed heir to the clan. For the moment has substance, and too has virtue. How can good merit exist else- time? Memories of good merit told are in the defense of one's character, and promises of good merit told are in the promotion of one's character. In the moment, virtue is best. Subsequently, youth rules."_

Vapor collected on the polarized ski goolges. A garroting on the mouth piece of the snorkel caused Shinto to shake off his snoring. He sat huddled over in the mist. Who had been opposing Shinto was a ninja belonging to The Mist Seven; he was in a mirror position to Shinto with the aid of a long blade angling into the ground and through his chest. A small hint of gurgling blood from his mouth was his only sound.  
  
It was not soon after the battle until the scene scuttled with Hunter- nins to investigate. The dark green robed and masked unit checked the scene: S-Class ninja from Hidden Mist Village dead; unknown ninja sedated; letter attached to the unknown ninja. The one who noticed the letter opened it with a medical needle.  
  
He spoke deep inside his belly: "Official Aburame clan business. Please sell my son a bag of milk. The cash is in the envelope."  
  
"No one wants to read that," Shinto muttered in his slumber, "where's the action?"  
  
"Luckily, he has finished off this member before Momochi Zabuza joined with him," one of them stated, "not that," he shifted his attention to a drop that shot out of a puddle in the dirt.  
  
"Not that?" the man who took the letter requested but also saw this puddle that had drops prodding out and then splashing back.  
  
"Should we leave this Aburame member with the sword," a female who made the final member of the Hunter-nins team pulled the wide and body length sword out of the body, "the head was all we need."  
  
The drops of water of the puddle projected out as needles shattering the masks. The crack of the mask and bone trailed each other with not interlude of a scream. The two guys fell down. The woman knew she was in trouble and quickly lit the body to burn and took the head to retreat.  
  
Haku arrived on the scene. His hair was shinny black with no fussiness. His whole appearance was clean. His eyes rested on the sword. He has heard about the Shishi-o.  
  
"I've heard enough of you," Shinto sung in his dreams or whatever was in his head.  
  
Haku recalled Zabuza had told him: "Tools are made to fit its piece. As a ninja, it is proper to fit your piece. The true shinobi knows it is such a tool. Revenge a death of a comrade, this is our piece."  
  
"Shit." Haku faintly cursed. Pulling back the goolges, Haku found Shinto asleep. Pulling out a needle from his brown sleeves, Haku threw it and jumped away as he heard the sound of a yawn. Teeth chattered on metal as Haku stepped up to Shinto to see the needle. It was through the cheek he had not rolled on to and exiting slightly underneath the jaw. A shrug Haku let before releasing a thin stream of vomit. A wipe of the mouth with a sleeve produced three new needles now. Haku threw them and they ousted the guts of the pillow. "I had aimed for fatal areas."  
  
A yawn and a clamp of metal gave his place away. Shinto lied against a rock.

* * *

**Sleepwalker**  
  
_"2) Before an heir of the Aburame is born, the father shall listen for the wisdom of Butsu. Buddha will give a speech to follow the clan's rites. Others who would hear of this practice will mention that this is the source of the Aburame's greatness. To avoid praise, do not speak a word of it; follow it."_

Old Faithful, real name Aburame Shinto, was to be born five days later. As the rites go, his father, the Sage, was called by Buddha, as he has been from Shinto to Shino. It would not be a regular meeting place with Gongen, except in the case that it was a mountain and that was where commonly Gongens are by nature. What was so irregular about this location was that the Sage was afraid of heights. It would be half way up the mountain before he re-realized it.  
  
His wife, Kiyo with her light red hair in her face, came into the kitchen so she could grind up her underwear in the blender. She was sleep walking, a condition in her kin. Like everything else in the world, it would have its own fighting style.  
  
Kiyo promised him that she would not open her eyes until she saw him again. And that was what happened.

* * *

**School Days**  
  
_"3) When your contract begins with the destruction bugs, all personal memory should be stored in the bugs and all tactile and philosophy should fill the head. Do not restrain from using the bugs with the memories of being attacked or done wrong to as the front lines of battle. When this bug dies, the memory dies. This is the way to forgiving and forgetting.  
  
Putting the hurt feelings behind you, _

_You send them to the front. _

_Releasing them to your adversary, _

_The opponent's sword does blunt."_

Shino was five years old. He did not have a large coat but a white t- shirt. Today, in the forest clearing with a hive, Shino was going to become the heir. The Sage unfolded a piece of paper and coughed into his hand. Lying by his feet, Shinto pulled out a microphone stand and mike for their father.  
  
"A guy walks into a bar and sustains a minor concussion. Well?" The Sage asked. The microphone pulled back into Shinto's coat. "That is all Buddha had to add. Into the nest."  
  
The Sage pushed Shino into the nest. The display of arm waving and tiny hops could not correct him so he slid into the nest. The bugs swarmed him and the smell they released slowed him down as he gagged trying to crawl away from the nest. The Sage reached into a bag and pulled out a similar style jacket but grey. It was tossed into the mix.  
  
"This is the first day of pre-academy," the Sage stated, "I give my regards to the death of your life if you fall short of reaching there."

* * *

**The Trickster**  
  
_"4) If a bug is filled with praise or punishment, upon neither should thrown away improperly. Known what to do with memories that require one to forgive and forget, now, know what to do with memories that hold praise. Seal them in a clay gourd and dare not let them escape. To release them, ensure that they will all die,  
  
'Therefore the sage knows himself But does not display himself. He holds himself dear But does not honour himself. Thus he discards the latter and chooses the former.' Wrote Lao Tzu  
  
This is the last thing to be released." _Haku caught onto one of the descending feathers. Crushing it in his fist, his fingers recoiled and exposed a red scratch on the top of palm from a broken stem. He sent a new needle that ricocheted off the old one as Shinto's head bobbed down to his chest. A mixture of blood and salvia dripped from the wound under Shinto's mouth.  
  
Walking over to Shinto, Haku held onto Shinto's messy black hair and pulled the head back showing a small puncture in the chest through his purple cloak. Haku slowly pushed a needle into Shinto's shoulder. It would not wake him.  
  
"He only reacts to fatal aim." Haku remarked. "However did he win against Yorimasa?"  
  
"Present. I was at hand." The whiny voice said. A ten-gu stood and leaned on its toes. Its head was small with long sharp features. The nose littered with hair curved down to surpass its plum lower lip. It gave a sneer of warped teeth with his under-bite jaw. "One, you are young. Too, you are curious. Much action."   
  
Haku repelled it with a needle thrown near its feet and the creature fell back on its awkward sandals. The white robe and red vest that covered with dirt was clean once it got back to its feet.  
  
"No not try to trick me, ten-gu," Haku insisted. "I will vanquish you."   
  
Haku ducked under the Shishi-o. Rising up, he saw that Shinto held the body length sword between himself and the ten-gu. He brushed some hair off his shoulders.   
  
"Yorimasa," it drifted off carrying the name. "Nearest a week was when I first saw him. He rested upon my tree whetting his sword. Curse his mindlessness; he tested the blade upon my tree."   
  
"I am sorry," Haku said, "for your lost and my lack of interest. Get to the important part." "I put his self on trial. No defendant showed up." It said at nodded. "I put him to a chore. Made him place his honour upon killing Shinto." 


	3. Inuzuka Kagome

**

* * *

Inuzuka Kagome...**  
  
**Graduation**  
  
It was the graduation of the class Naruto was in, but he was not in the graduation as he was passed later on in a less interesting story line about some multi-ass fox bitch. That was the old story, this is the new one. Shino was there, with his older brother, Shiro. Hinata was there with her little sister because if Hinata did not comply with the order, Hanabi would beat her up. Sasuke was there alone. Choji was there with Shikamaru because it was really a favor for Shikamaru to come anyways. This is a story for the unknown Inuzuka members. In a strange twist, the males take the females name, and therefore it is a female headed clan. That means that all of you drooling for Hinata and Kiba to get together but chit- chatting and shit-shatting about if Kiba will take her name. Yes, that's true, but this isn't a story about some paled faced puny girl. That's a pass. This is only about the other Inuzuka Clan. Only. Inuzuka. Clan. That her or him or that other group of people not part of the Inuzuka Clan. That is to prepare you for this: Kiba was with his older sister, Inuzuka Kagome. Everything that Ino and Sakura did was uneventful, and in the smallest of details their actions caused Sasuke to leave.  
  
"Good work, little brother," Kagome commented to Kiba. "Now, let's have this dance."  
  
"What?!?" Kiba said. "I don't want to dance."  
  
"Now that is a lie," Kagome said. "I can see that you would not ask me for all of those dancing lessons if you were going here not to dance. So, who are your teammates?"  
  
"Hyuga Hinata," Kiba said, "and Aburame Shino."  
  
"You had better get to know them soon," Kagome said. "I'll be going to look for some other Chuunins."  
  
Around the corner of the Academy, Kagome found Iruka, Shiro, Kurenai, and Asuma all holding bottles of alcohol. Shiro had unwrapped his grey scarf that he used to cover the lower half of his face in order to drink. The group noticed her rank by her Chuunin vest that she refuses to wear over any more than a tank top.  
  
"Smoke?" Kurenai pulled out a crumbled up pack.  
  
"No thank you. With my mother, I've never developed the habit." Kagome said. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Playing dice." Iruka said dropping them near a pool of money in the middle. "Damn, I'm going to have to request another A rank mission to make up with this lost."  
  
"Do you smell that?" Kagome asked. "How would you like to partake in an S-Class mission?"

"We're all a bit drunk right now," Shiro picked up the pot. He moved his gourd that was tied around his waist so he could put the money in his pocket. "Gai would be useful."  
  
"No," Kagome corrected, "he would be dangerous."

* * *

**Little Brother**  
  
Kagome sat in her room. Her entrance into pre-academy was soon. She was excited by the idea. She snapped out of her wondering when her mother, Kikyo, entered the room and turned down the volume of Pink Floyd's "Dogs". Together they sat on the futon.  
  
"Remember how happy you were when you were going to get a dog?" Kikyo asked and retied Kagome's black ponytail.  
  
"I sure can," Kagome turned around and smiled before groaning, "only resentment."  
  
"Good news," Kikyo ended a long pause, "you're going to have a little brother."  
  
"I knew I wasn't going to be perfect." Kagome said.

* * *

**Still a Chuunin**  
  
Kagome lead the way for four disoriented drunks. They tripped each other up as they leaped on the low light roof tops. They jumped over an alley way to the next set of roofs and saw that their mark was stopped by a man up ahead in between two roof doors.  
  
They were in a court with a centre sloped down from the floors proceeding higher than the roof they were on.  
  
"Who's up ahead?" Kurenai asked.  
  
"They smell the same," Kagome said, "but the smell; it's Itachi's."  
  
The two men removed their cloak and peasant hat.  
  
"I have never seen such a great clone," the Itachi they had been chasing said. "Good work, Orochimaru."  
  
"You are going to be given two choices," the furthest Itachi said to the leaf ninjas. "To not take a side, I will advise, would be the best choice. When the Genins from the sand country travel to Konoha, either Orochimaru will use them or as he would think, that I would use them for my own purpose. Will you..."  
  
A large metal keg bounced off Itachi's head to stop him from speaking. Gai gave everyone a thumb up but his smile had less discipline and remained lazy.  
  
"He's a drunken master," Shiro said. Gai was tripping around and giving Orochimaru and Itachi problems; though he thought he was fighting six Itachi's. "Will everyone be okay to fight?"  
  
"With a soldier pill, I should be able to protect myself," Kagome said. "We should split up into two teams. Gai, Asuma and Kurenai will be the close to middle coverage and Iruka, Shiro and I will battle from a medium to far range. Iruka and Shiro should take to the windows of higher floors. Kurenai and I can fight from the outer edge of the rooftop. Asuma, you should help Gai from close up."  
  
"You're still a Chuunin," Asuma said as they were ready to leave.  
  
"Yeah," Kagome said turning around. Iruka and Shiro started to cling to the sides of the high walls. "So what?"  
  
"I'm surprise you aren't a Jounin." Asuma said. He vanished to reappear and cut Itachi with his fist blades but he was replaced by a log. Gai landed a spinning head first lunge on the opponent he was occupying. Asuma lit a cigarette as Gai picked up the tap to the keg and drunk some more. Behind him, Itachi activated a blade from his shoe and kicked Asuma in the ribs. The blade stuck into the blade and Itachi's eyes caught a glimpse of Asuma hitting Gai's head as well as hold a flame of a lighter to Gai's mouth. He was quick in sending Charka to his feet but had to put a lot of force to avoid the flame. He crashed into bricks of the wall. Declining with a cord holding his legs, Shiro grabbed Itachi from above and was set back up with Itachi. Kurenai withdrew to the outer bounds to help Shiro and Iruka who stood on tight wires hanging to wall to wall. Iruka threw a kunai under Itachi's wire and Itachi dropped to the next one to slide down knocking away arrows that were coming from seals.  
  
It was now Kagome's job to keep Gai from falling down as he staggered around.  
  
"Damn," Gai tripping into her and she pushed him back. He fell into Itachi's arms and Gai had brought out two kunais. She then charged and stepped on Gai's shoulder to knee Itachi under the chin. They rolled together with Kagome's legs near Itachi's head. He held her ankle and threw her away as well as stand up to his feet. She coughed some blood. Itachi turned to look at her. His tired eyes full of lines looked at her and his mouth bled. Itachi blew up in smoke. "He's gone."  
  
"So was the one up there," Kurenai said as she dropped down. "Now, we have to write a report."  
  
"Paper work?" Asuma said. "Let's leave it to Gai. He's the most experience, so therefore he is the leader."  
  
"Agreed," everyone else said. They departed and Kagome and Shiro diverged to the park. She pointed at a red tattoo long on the back of Shiro's hand.  
  
"You have become an ANBU member?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yeah," Shiro said, and took his scarf off to put in his lip ring. "Want to know of why and how I got this?"  
  
"No," Kagome said, "I just wanted to know if I was really so close to skill of an ANBU member. No need to worry about getting into that group."


	4. Uchiha Itachi

**Uchiha Itachi...**  
  
**The Mist Seven/Akatsuki Alliance**  
  
_"Business Transaction"_  
  
The purpose of the Mist Seven was to overthrow the Hidden Village of Mist. The result was failure and the separation of the group. In order to one day assemble again; they made an alliance with a group of S-class ninjas forming the Akatsuki Organization. The terms would leave Hoshigaki Kisame of the Mist Seven in the ranks of the Akatsuki Organization, which would promise to help the group to take over the Hidden Mist Village.  
  
"Orochimaru has left," Itachi told Kisame, "we've been ordered to unite with another member."  
  
"Is that so?" Kisame asked. "He has been planning behind the organization's back."  
  
"Correct," Itachi stated. "Orochimaru will want Gaara for his own intentions."

* * *

**Target Practice**  
  
_"Homework Assignment"_  
  
Itachi had the target in his mind. It hung upon the trunk of a tree and on the other side he was facing. He kept his breathing to inhale when the wind was blowing. Exhaling, he tossed up the kunai with an underhand throw. He inhaled and threw the kunai sidearm into the wind.  
  
The first kunai he threw had landed a bit to the right of the target. The wind had changed its course. Its point stuck in the ground and jarred a bit as the next one ricocheted off the loop of it. With that, the second kunai headed for the target.  
  
Itachi looked at the calculations that he drew in the dirt. Picking up a notebook on top of his backpack, Itachi wrote them down.  
  
"Next question," Itachi pulled out a textbook and ripped out a page to the already devoured book. "Time to smoke."

* * *

**GO**  
  
_"Home"_  
  
Shikamaru sat alone at a GO table in the shade of the store front roof. Itachi stopped Kisame and walked into the shop tipping his peasant hat that rung a bell to the shop owner.  
  
"Can you explain this game to me, sir?" Itachi asked. Shikamaru merely gave a glace up and down to his Chuunin vest.  
  
"Forget the vest," Shikamaru said, "Asuma is making me wear it."  
  
"Isn't that an honour?" Itachi said. "So, may you explain the game?"  
  
"Well," Shikamaru slouched forward. "No."  
  
Shikamaru balled up when Kisame let his sword wrapped in white cloth to carve into the wall and over Shikamaru's head.  
  
"You mean 'now', don't you?" Kisame asked. "Manners are not wasted on you, huh, shitkicker."  
  
From the back of the room, Shikato came out of the washroom as he was pulling up his pant's zipper.  
  
"Hey!" Shikato shouted. "You better, uh..."  
  
"Let me recommend their not killing your son," Shikamaru said, "but hold out for more. Deadbeat."  
  
"I am not deadbeat," Shikato moaned, "I'm highly reserved."  
  
"There is so much to do today," Shikamaru's mom said and pushed Itachi out of the way, "move it, sideshow. You know those deer don't take care for themselves."  
  
"Yes," Shikato and Shikamaru said. The family walked out of the shop. Kisame had his sword back over his shoulder.  
  
"Maybe it isn't your game." Kisame said.

* * *

**Basement**  
  
_"Pipe Dreams"_  
  
Itachi came in with a bowl of chips and saw Shinto, and Ayame sitting in his basement.  
  
"When did Shinto arrive?" Itachi asked and took a seat. The ceiling was open with pipes, wires and simple lights, and also high. Across from them was a 30 inch television took up with the Uchiha official ninja video game. They were playing the console with two plain controllers, though Shinto only rolled over the controller a few times to help out. It was an 8-bit beat them up, with the kidnapped girlfriend, goofy rival/sidekick, and innocent girl to partake in the basic action. "And where's Kagome?"  
  
"And what's that smell?" Kagome asked. "I know the answer, but that is an important question."  
  
"What is that smell?" Itachi asked.  
  
"Shinto arrived with a wooden pipe when you left. Kagome and I decided to light it up, and then she remembered that her mother would find out and left in a panic." Ayame said. "Do you want to smoke as well?"  
  
"Shinto, take her home," Itachi instructed. Dropping an arm on her, Shinto and Ayame faded away. Itachi turned off the television and game console before pocking the wooden pipe and the bag next to it. "Now, I can begin."

* * *

**Evacuation**  
  
_"Low Light"  
_  
His heart was beating. It was beating fast. Clothes lines would disappear with a single cut of the blade. Itachi never had the chance to clean the blood of his family. He was fast, but people have been looking for him before this happened; when he slaughtered his whole family sparing his little brother Sasuke.  
  
Itachi stopped on a rooftop, nothing close was above it. Gekkou Hayate put out his smoke and placed it into his green vest. Even in the low light of the lamp upon the roof door does not hide the dark marks under Hayate's eyes.  
  
Itachi attached his back to the top of the wall. He heard Hayate cough into a hand. Another cough and Itachi landed over the railing waiting behind Hayate's back. Hayate pulled out another smoke and struggled with his pockets to find a lighter. Hayate turned around to freeze Itachi.  
  
"A light?" Hayate asked.  
  
"Amaterasu!" Itachi said causing a black flame to devour Hayate. And then, he continued running. 


	5. Umino Iruka

**Iruka...**  
  
**Chuunin Exam: Part One**  
  
_"You dumbass! Don't practice stupid skills!"_  
  
Though Iruka was surrounded by other Genins, he was apart from his teammates. He sat alone looking at the exam paper. He held a pencil and twirled it around his fingers. The Chuunins chosen to root out cheaters for his row caught sight of his pencil tricks. The pencil stopped rotating and Iruka performed some one handed seals. Not only had this feat caused the Chuunins' attention to look at his hand, but also that of his neighbours.  
  
When he stopped forming seals, his neighbour burst out that his paper was blank. The instructor requested that he leave with his teammates. Iruka would never admit that he officially cheated, because that is what the permanent records registered.

* * *

**The Log**  
  
_"This is no time for pranks, moron!"_  
  
Under the eyes and over the bridge of the nose, Iruka had blood running down his face. Turning his neck to the side, he was able to swab his chin against his blue sweater, but the blood continued to pour. His mouth was dry though he had to start spitting out the blood. He had lasted most of afternoon and evening tied to the log.  
  
Who came to see him was the 3rd Hokage. The aging ninja reached under his Hokage hat and untied his forehead protector to wrap around Iruka's wound.  
  
"You could have untied me," Iruka said and the Hokage tightened the bond. The metal plate was on the side of Iruka's face. "I thought you were going to help me."  
  
"You stole and defiled a ninja's forehead protector," the Hokage revealed, "this is as easy as life gets."  
  
With that, the Hokage left. It took Iruka an hour to stumble onto the truth that the robe was no longer binding him to the log in the ground.

* * *

**Pre-Test: Ino**  
  
_"I would always act like an idiot to get people's attention."  
_  
After Iruka had heard that all of his former students were to be enlisted to become Chuunins so soon, Iruka pleaded to test them one more time to see if they lived up to their new teacher's evaluation. At the flower shop, Iruka would find Yamanaka Ino.  
  
Ino rested behind the counter with shears in her black apron. She greeted him like any other customer; she smiled and got back to her magazine.  
  
"Hello, Ino," he said to her.  
  
"What brings you here?" She asked.  
  
"On behave of a request made my Shikamaru," Iruka said, "I have come here to say that neither of us thinks that it would be in your best interest to go to the Chuunin exam."  
  
"What?" Ino said slamming her magazine on the counter, "what did he say to you?"  
  
"Ah..." Iruka wondered, "He said it would be troublesome."  
  
"That sounds like him," Ino removed her apron, "he doesn't want me to show up so he can also not show up. I'm going to confront him right now."  
  
And with that she was out of the shop.  
  
"And I just heard Shikamaru said that he wasn't going." Iruka complained.

* * *

**Come-Come Paradise  
**  
_"So this is it..."_  
  
Kakashi halted Iruka as he was carrying a box of books to the dumpster.  
  
"There may be something good in there," Kakashi said and put the box on a table of a shop. He commented on books as he put them to the side. "I've seen the movie. Samurai suck. Movie is pending. This book is too thick. Hey, what's here?"  
  
Iruka pulled the copy from Kakashi's hands and laughed contritely.  
  
"Never mind this," Iruka warned.  
  
"Don't you usually scratch behind your head, smile widely and close your eyes when you are nervous?" Kakashi asked.  
  
"Am I that predictable?" Iruka laughed as he normally did in these situations. Kakashi took this opportunity to steal the book back.  
  
"Come-Come Paradise?" Kakashi read and opened the cover. He immediately put a hand over his mouth. "Times like this, I'm glad that I wear this bib."  
  
He walked away with the book.  
  
"Will he like that book?" Iruka wondered. "I confiscated it from one of my female students."

* * *

**Gambling**  
  
_"Who told you that?"_  
  
The evening was dying down at graduation since many of the graduates decided not to stay very long or graduate on time. A group of smokers started up behind the corner so Iruka joined them.  
  
"Hey, Kurenai, Asuma, and Shiro," Iruka said. He took a beer bottle from Asuma and used his ninja vest to open the cap. Generally, the piece of metal under the chest pocket was to cut oneself to draw blood for performing summoning. "Shiro, you are too young to be drinking, and smoking, and gambling. What are you playing?"  
  
"A solitaire game," Asuma commented, "I can't beat him. Gai could win, but he had a bit too much to drink."  
  
"I wish this graduation would be more festive." Iruka stated.  
  
"What's in good spirits of sending children to war?" Kurenai asked. "A Green Day song is not going to lighten up the mood."  
  
"Who said that?" Iruka questioned. "It's not just a Green Day song; it is the Green Day song." 


	6. Aburame Shiro

**Aburame Shiro...**  
  
**Books & Insults**  
  
_"5) An opponent may be one uphill struggle away from attaining enlightenment. Before cutting them down, a member of the clan should offer their opponent a final request."_  
  
"Pedigree bitch," Shiro called Kagome.  
  
"Bug catcher," Kagome retorted.  
  
"Myopic Neanderthal," Shiro said.  
  
"Grungy piss ant." Kagome snapped.  
  
"Hooch the pooch," Shiro replied.  
  
"Lecherous douche," Kagome bounded to a store front window and pointed at a copy of the Dhammapada, "I want it."  
  
"You haven't read it." Shiro commented walking up next to her. He followed her into the door of the store and heard a bell.  
  
"Hello," Suzume gave them an informal salute and watched them under her white translucent glasses. "Oh, Kagome, how are you?"  
  
"Very well and how are you, Suzume?" Kagome asked with a bow.  
  
"Business is good." Suzume responded.  
  
"That is pleasant to hear," Kagome replied. Shiro chuckled to himself and passed by Kagome and some old wooden shelves to the front desk covered in books.  
  
"Ah, I see. You teach female etiquette," Shiro said. "My name is..."  
  
"Pardon my intrusion, but we have already met," Suzume stated, "and I have instructed your sisters."  
  
"I thought that you had great memory," Kagome jested taking her eyes off a book.  
  
"I do remember our verbal affronts," Shiro mentioned.  
  
"Kagome!" Suzume raised her voice. "Resorting to insults, this I had not taught you."  
  
"I know, I know," Kagome said, "but, I am not undercover."  
  
"And few men know her any other way." Shiro shouted has his hand crushed under a large book that Suzume dropped.  
  
"Don't insult a woman's virtue," Suzume said. "I taught you just as well as I did Kagome."  
  
"What do you mean?" Kagome and Shiro asked.  
  
"It has been a convention that at least one woman to be part of the three person group," Suzume started, "so when you were promoted in a hurry, and since you were young, the academy decided to teach you how to act undercover as a girl. To quickly allow you to rise, this is a common practice just in case we find that the next best ninjas to join your team would be males. It turned out for you that we could promote a girl and a boy to your Genins team."  
  
"I remember now, I just never thought of flower arranging was feminine." Shiro said. "Like a beautiful flower full of colour and also fragrant, even so, fruitful are the fair words of one who practices them."  
  
"The Dhammapada." Suzume said.  
  
"On tape please," Shiro stated, "for my illiterate ally."

* * *

**Flowers**  
  
_"6) On regulations to the clan's residence, welcome all to our gateless gate, for  
  
Mumon wrote: 'The Great Way has no gate,  
A thousand roads enter it.  
When one passes through this gateless gate,  
He freely walks between heaven and earth.'  
  
And is not this residence a hub of a thousand roads?"_  
  
Ino stopped in front of Shiro who was sitting by the Aburame residence smoking a water pipe. Ino introduced herself with a cough with the hand not carrying the cut red flowers wrapped in water paper. It was a simple arrange of Sweet-Williams.  
  
"Is Shino here?" Ino asked. "I was wondering what he thought of my new haircut. As his family member, what do you think?"  
  
"He is an heir. There is a huge personality difference between the heir and his or her family." Shiro said and suddenly question: "were you going to ask him to go bury the deceased?"  
  
"What is it with you and your family's objection to cutting flowers?" Ino asked. "You look like Shino."  
  
"I have yet to get over my death," Shiro said. "People have idolized me and disapproved of me."

* * *

**Death**  
  
_"7) It will be said; death may bring your day down. That is all."_  
  
Shiro lied in the mud with rain falling on him. His opponent left him for dead. If it had not been for the rain, he would be in the most silence he has ever countered during his life. His bugs were gone. There was not a cut on his body that he could explain. Slowly during the battle, his personality corroded until he acted on instincts as his endurance and speed increased with every dead memory. He forgot all the tunes he liked to whistle. His identity lowered to the standard precepts of an Aburame member.  
  
He had laughed when he first heard the seventh rite of the Aburame clan. Now, he could find no humour in it. His pain did not worry him and he entered into mediation.  
  
"But," he uttered and held onto his gourd that was tied to his waist, "since I do not remember this fight, I may or may not have used this forbidden reservoir. It could be that I have lost my way and was not able to find the power to release my few remaining memories. It would surely result in a detestable personality. I can give it another try."

* * *

**Mission**  
  
_"8) With every duty, if one does her best, then there is no failure. It was natural."_  
  
Morino Ibiki directed the team over a map of the country that lay out on the table. Around him were six members he would be leading: Aburame Shiro, ANBU member; Gekkou Hayate, Special Jounin; Shiranui Genma, Special Jounin; Yamashiro Aoba, Special Jounin; Mitarashi Anko, Special Jounin; and Maito Gai, Jounin.  
  
"We will be protecting the Genins of Hidden Village of Sand as they come early to disarm the traps set by their predecessors in the Forest of Death. Sorry, Practice Area 44," Ibiki corrected himself to some laughing of the group.  
  
"Jackass," Anko commented before the laughing died out and close enough to be the reason for ending it. "I have read the briefing, but it appears that we don't know who we will have to face."  
  
"Keep that mouth out of the battle field," Ibiki ordered. "As for who are opponent is, we don't know. In a certain situation, I may request any of you to withdraw from the mission, as well as Gai having the authority to remove me if there is an issue of safety."  
  
"Expect either Uchiha Itachi or Orochimaru," Shiro spoke.  
  
"Orochimaru?" Anko asked.  
  
"I would have you tortured, if we were not so short on ninjas," Ibiki told Shiro.  
  
"You should not be short a person if Orochimaru showed up," Anko said, "I will arrange a replacement."  
  
"This is the team that has been formed," Ibiki said, "we will continue."  
  
"May I be excused," Hayate asked. "Orochimaru and Itachi, get real, are openly confirmed bad asses."  
  
"Denied," Ibiki said, "with your swordsmanship, and knowledge concerning weapons, we can gain practical insight on how to gauge the enemy to respond properly."  
  
"I just wantta go on a smokin' break," Hayate admitted, "ya' know."  
  
"Fine recovery," Genma moved his toothpick to the other corner of his mouth, "where is the path we will guide the sand Genins?"  
  
"Through the Rain Country borders," answered Ibiki, "we could get some support there, but nothing is guaranteed at this moment. In the worst case, we travel in surrounding countries and form a large caravan. It would be the most vexing course."

* * *

**Recruitment**  
  
_"9) Have an adequate amount of reservation when promoting people. The consequences can injure those people raised as a watermelon has more chance of breaking the higher it is raised. Take a bug to the same height, and it shall endure the fall. Also consider this verse from Lun Yu:  
  
When Duke Ai of the state of Lu asked, 'What must be done for the support of the people?'  
  
Confucius replied, 'Elevate the honest over the wrong doers, and there will be support from the people. Elevate the wrong doers over the honest, and there will be not be support from the people'  
  
So promote people who are modest. Once released, they will allow modesty to allow all the heavens to guide them safety."_  
  
Ibiki approached Shiro under advisement of Reason. The mission could involve opposing Itachi, Orochimaru and others.  
  
"Will you join this mission?" Ibiki handed Shiro the briefing. Shiro read it over and recognized the mission.  
  
"This is not an offer," Shiro observed, "is it a duty?"  
  
"Correct," Ibiki stated, "as a further request, I want you to indicate another peer for this mission."  
  
Shiro responded, "Alas, my brother Shinto has been lost buying milk. In the wake of that, Shiranui Genma would be the best candidate. He cannot take a wrong turn in a labyrinth. Put him ahead, and there will be safety waiting at every place he steps. He will provide you with the best proposal for a teammate."  
  
"We will meet at the ANBU headquarters at 1800 hours." Ibiki said. "By, midnight, we leave." 


	7. Shiranui Genma

**Shiranui Genma...**  
  
**Mushrooms**  
  
_"Ineptitude: If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."_ (Despair Demotivators)  
  
Most people who know Genma would say that he is a carefree guy. No one has called him twenty-nine, but refer to him as twenty-something. He was polite in meeting people and had kept himself under his own vigilant eyes. It is the only thing in which he exerted himself. Not getting to know his roommate was not a problem as they usually had different shifts. What little conversations they had hid themselves in gifts, like recently Genma had found before leaving the apartment, a poster of a skier wiping out with a slogan about ineptitude. The gifts were partly harmless pranks.  
  
When he got to the gates of the village, he could see the sun and more details to the monument to the Hokages. He left them behind to travel to a monastery where he spent his time preparing meals for monks. On the way, sure enough, he would stop along the path to pick some mushrooms at his risen level fort. He had found a perfect patch and built a platform over it a few years ago.  
  
He untied the front knot of his bandana that he wore backwards. More of his brown long hair fell down and he filled his bandana with mushrooms.

* * *

**Recruitment**  
  
_"Join the mission, meet interesting people, kill them."_  
  
Ibiki met with Genma on the advice of Shiro who spoke highly of this Special Jounin.  
  
"Here is the outline of the mission," Ibiki handed Genma a piece of paper. "Who do you propose to fill the ranks?"  
  
"Would this suggestion oblige the nominated ninja to accept this pitch?" Genma asked. "This suggestion will be followed out?  
  
"I can make many things happen," Ibiki put his hands into his trench coat. "It is a promise."  
  
"Perfect!" Genma said and thought: "This will be the perfect time to get back at my roommate." And then he spoke his request: "My roommate."  
  
"Good," Ibiki said, "we will meet at the ANBU headquarters at 1800 hours. Who is your roommate?"  
  
"I don't know," Genma responded, "but he has recently developed a horrible cough."  
  
"I was informed that you would pick the best member," Ibiki said.  
  
"Well, if you start looking for him now," Genma started, "then the sooner you will find out. Take care." Genma closed the door. "That will do."

* * *

** Chuunin Examiner**  
  
_"Indifference: it takes 43 muscles to smile and 17 to smile, but it doesn't take anything to just sit there with a dumb look on your face."_ (Despair Demotivators)  
  
The schedule was passed out on early Sunday mornings, and Genma waited to receive his directly from the messenger. The pink haired head of Sakura emerged from over the stairs and she ran up to Genma.  
  
"Good morning, Genma," Sakura said smiling, "how are you?"  
  
"Fine at this moment since I can now get on with my duty," Genma bowed as he took the letter from Sakura. Since the preliminary ended, Sakura covered the task of sending out the weekly schedules. It made her feel useful for not reaching the Chuunin finals. Genma helped by reading out his task to her. "Chuunin examiner; in a nutshell, it is relaxing no effort job."  
  
"Don't you have to stop a fight if one of the opponents is in mortal danger?" Sakura fretted. Genma shrugged and replaced his long toothpick.  
  
"S'pose," Genma answered, "but I am not become a safe net for what the audience wants to see. Oh, I mean off the record, right. It is an unspoken rule at a competition at this height." 


	8. Gekkou Hayate

**Gekkou Hayate...**  
  
**Recruitment**  
  
_"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."_  
  
Hayate never had good luck running on his side. A ninja by the name of Otohime stole one of his lungs and fled the village leaving him connected to a machine and isolated in a sterile room. It had taken Ibiki half an hour to prepare to get into a suit to keep contaminates out of the room.  
  
"You have been elected for your ability," Ibiki said, "to partake in a mission to escort Sand ninjas to the Chuunin exam. Under my authority, you are now released from the hospital. I will leave further information with the front desk."  
  
Hayate removed the IV from his arm and pulled down the oxygen mask from his indented mouth. Coughing hard, he sat up.  
  
"What ability," Hayate asked.  
  
"Your swordsmanship," Ibiki lied.  
  
"But, I don't have a sword." Hayate admitted. "I haven't held on to a sword for years."  
  
"The front desk will have one for you," Ibiki said. "As a final request, who would you propose to continue on the mission?"  
  
"This'd be good times to drag my roomy into this, except I want my fish to be taken care of." Hayate thought. "Yamashiro Aoba, he is my choice. He is a master of element based attacks. He can use every main element attack from each country."  
  
"When you return," Ibiki said, "I promise to assign you to as the Chuunin examiner."

* * *

**Swordsmanship**  
  
_"Genius does what it must, talent does what it can, and you had best do what you're told."_  
  
Hayate had a few hours to practice with his sword. His remaining lung was still burning from his inhaling of smoke from a black flame. But he was not one to complain and through every step back, he knew that another one would appear and make him forget about his current problems. His other lung was promised to be returned, and he was optimistic about that potential.  
  
Umino Iruka noticed Hayate and approached him.  
  
"Hayate!" Iruka said, "You didn't have to get out of bed to watch my performance of Hamlet."  
  
"I don't wantta let down anybody," Hayate stated. There would be time to relearn how to properly hold a sword. "Are you a good actor?"  
  
"I was trained for the best," Iruka admitted. Hayate handed the sword over to Iruka.  
  
"How were you told to hold a sword on stage?" Hayate asked.  
  
"That is a good question about the methods of acting," Iruka said, "and the best way to hold a sword on stage to make the audience believe is to not display the sword at all. The trick is in the expression an actor holds."  
  
"And what expression is that?" Hayate said. Quickly, Iruka flipped the sword around to point its tip at Hayate. He did not filch.  
  
"You have it now!" he replied handing back the sword, "to accept the stage as it is, the danger is make believe."

* * *

**Apartment**  
  
_"I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!"_  
  
Hayate's room in his parents' place was filled with cardboard boxes that needed to be taped. The only thing that was not packed to send over to his assigned apartment was his sound system. Toxicity by System of the Down was cranked on the speakers.  
  
On his mattress, he flicked his joint over the astray that laid on a black hard case more than half the length of the bed. He rested his joint on the astray and removed it all to a counter so he could return to open the case. He would leave it here: his mask, his uniform, and his sword.  
  
As an ANBU member, his squad had chased after one of Orochimaru's experiments to one of the hidden tunnels that Orochimaru added to the underground channels of Konoha. There had been speculations that the village would never clean itself completely of this Sannin, but all had to be done to limit his impact.  
  
It was the medic who had wandered away from the group to assist who he thought was a teammate. A trap was set and the whole team contracted a disease to varying degrees depending on their proximity to the trap. This was the last time Hayate had used a sword. The medic recommended that the team quarantine itself from the outside making markers and collapsing the pathways to them. It had taken a full week when the requests could no longer be heard through words. Hayate had finally fulfilled the requests of his teammates and ended each life with his blade. In a few more days of isolation, searching for bugs to eat, he was rescued and returned to packing his stuff for moving.  
  
He would never speak of this event. It was a high level Genjutsu that no one could convince him ever happened. 


	9. Yamashiro Aoba

**Yamashiro Aoba...**  
  
**Sunglasses**  
  
_"When the flame is done properly, it should not be looked at without protection."  
_  
On the battle field, style over substance will for eternity mean defeat over victory. For those who wear sunglasses on the battle field, like Yamashiro Aoba, they mean victory and therefore have been made specially. Aoba was roaming the Hidden Shade Store looking at the lens that would be placed in his wide oval frames. The store worker, Mozuku, a Chuunin, walked up to Aoba.  
  
"Would you like to test our new glass?" Mozuku said.  
  
They walked to the top floor of the store where light came in from many windows to the laboratory. In the middle, there hung a reflective black glass.  
  
"One way glass," Aoba evaluated and walked around the glass to look at the non reflective side to clearly see glass cutting equipment. "It does not tone down the brightness."  
  
"This glass will prevent you from having to change shades. They can be worn at anytime and you wouldn't know they are there," Mozuku said. "This is the result of technology and seals. You will be benefiting without knowing it."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It will tone down brightness that is dangerous to the eyes," Mozuku revealed, "and prevent splash back that could injure the eye."  
  
"So I'll know," Aoba performed handseals and his throat and cheeks swelled until he released a flame from his mouth onto the glass. After five seconds of fire covering the glass, the fire system activated the sprinkler system. Aoba's brown hair that spiked up to the left weighted down over his slanted head protector. Running his hand over the glass, he did not have to pull away from any discomfort. "Done deal, I would need them no longer than 5:30 in my frame model ready to be picked up." He walked off charred all around and added after a violent coughing fit, "The check will be in the mail, if I survive."

* * *

**Sandals**  
  
_"Lighting will not strike the same place twice, but the world is never the same place twice."_  
  
In the Hidden Leaf Village, the promotion of commerce between other ninja villages permitted specialty stores to open being run by other business people from other countries. Aoba was in one of those places. The store was called Flash Footwear with the symbol of the Hidden Lighting Village, though the available gear was simply surplus so it was not the greatest gear from that village. However, Aoba had good relations with people in all of the countries.  
  
"It may not be important for defense against electric attacks from other ninjas," he shook the can of instant rubber coating, "but it will help accomplishing my goal."

* * *

**Vest**  
  
_"Water brings both life and death, which cannot be stopped, so stay above water because none exceed it in lowliness."  
_  
In the event that they would travel through the Rain Country, an alley with the band of hopeful Chuunins would prove essential. In defending themselves, floods may come. Therefore, Aoba replaced his vest with a thicker one that would act as a life jacket. As a traveler as an apprentice ambassador, this is the information he had gathered first hand. He wrote it down in his large notepad and studied their primary elements associated with each ninja country.

* * *

**Blade**  
  
_"To move stone is time consuming and wasteful; it would be easier to move everything around the block for a mortal."  
_  
The finest metal is mined and refined in Earth Country, place of the Hidden Stone Village. Aoba removed his sandals and placed them on the countered. The old man took the sandals and tapped the two inside heels together. From the front of the sandals, two metal spikes sprung. The owner removed the blades and replaced them with new ones.  
  
"I will charge it to my credit card," Aoba said. The man put the card through the machine. He tried it again and then ducked down behind the counter to get a pair of scissors.  
  
"Sorry," the owner said and cut his credit card.  
  
"No need," Aoba snatched the sandals and ran away. "Paying for my missions I go on is too expensive for what I get in return."

* * *

**Lip Gloss  
**  
_"Sand: once you get it in; you will never get it back out again."_  
  
Aoba threw two kunais in the drugs store to disable the cameras as his shadow clone occupied the girl who watched over the monitors that were behind her and serve the customers. This would not be the first time he has stolen here, and that is why Team Eight were around. This would be the fourth Genins team he had foiled. From his scouting, Kiba and Akamaru stayed to the farthest place from the cosmetics department that served free samples of perfume. They were in the male grooming selection. Through Kiba had suggested Shino reconsider the idea of going to cosmetics, Hinata took that place leaving Shino with the feminine hygiene department and magazine rank.  
  
Aoba would have no problems like the other times; however, his lip protection brand was where Kiba and Akamaru guarded, occasionally checking out the razors and pulling a few fingers under his chin. Then he would have to go for lip gloss. He choose cherry concealing the filch from faraway Hinata who was having her finger nails done.  
  
"I hope this match my skin colour," Aoba wondered as he left.

* * *

**Recruitment**  
  
_"The body! That is the key to controlling the elements."  
_  
Ibiki found Aoba carrying a large backpack into the Hidden Leaf Village.  
  
"Wow, Ibiki," Aoba said, "You have shown up for my homecoming."  
  
"You were away?" Ibiki asked and jumped straight to handing him the mission briefing. "ANBU headquarters is where we meet. Bring what you need on this mission and assume that any ninja from any country will be confronted."  
  
"Sure," Aoba said slowly, "I kind of want to see my apartment." He coughed into his hand. "I have been sick since I left. Can't want to see my roommate, who ever he is."  
  
"That what I thought," Ibiki said, "what other member would you want to join this campaign?"  
  
"Gekkou Hayate," Aoba said.  
  
"Oh, you wouldn't have known," Ibiki stated.  
  
"What ever it is," Aoba admitted, "Genma can handle this task. Get him back into fighting. I got my equipment."  
  
"Sure." And they departed.


	10. Mitarshi Anko

**Mitarshi Anko...  
**  
**Recruitment**  
  
_"Floor Chocolate"  
_  
Anko emerged from a cloud of purple smoke outside a closed washroom stall. Knocking her fists against the door, she shouted in her muffled voice: "Lit mey in, lit mey in," Anko jumped and stomped her feet on the tile ground.  
  
The door swung open and hit Anko over. On the ground, she coughed up a brown square about the size of her palm. She picked it up and with a smile said: "Floor chocolate!"  
  
A large hand grabbed her hand as she tried to put what was on the floor in her mouth.  
  
"Anko," Ibiki said, "What are you doing in the men's washroom?"  
  
He helped her up and took the brown square from her.  
  
"This is something you put under a couch leg," Ibiki said, "it's not edible."  
  
"I want a third option!" Anko protested. "Floor chocolate, it is! I veto you! Give me!"  
  
"I think I'll keep it," Ibiki put it in his pocket, "now, what are you doing in the men's washroom?"  
  
"Duh! I'm not going to find you in the women's washroom." Anko stated and held out her hand expecting something, "I'm ready for the mission."  
  
"Okay," Ibiki handed her the briefing, "ANBU headquarters is our meeting place at 1800 hours."  
  
"Yahoo!"  
  
"Could you recommend anyone?" Ibiki asked.  
  
"Was I recommended?" Anko asked. "I have to apologize to the Hokage for breaking one of his windows. What a kind old man, the Hokage is."  
  
"Actually, one of the group members recommended someone who was already chosen," Ibiki said, "you sort of nominated yourself."  
  
"What?!? That goat bastard, Hokage, didn't assign me to this fun mission!" Anko removed a urinal from the wall with her hands. She looked at Ibiki. "Maito Gai is who I choose. Hey, get off of that cake!"

"Let's call it a puck," Ibiki suggested for the urinal puck that had fell out when Anko left a large hole in the wall. "You should not eat that."  
  
"Are you telling me what to do?" Anko smashed the white urinal over his head and walked out. "Asshole! You weren't even going to eat it."

* * *

**Post**  
  
_"Apples"_  
  
It was almost a rule to a master of a group of Genins that he had to at least tie one person up to a post or punish them in some way.  
  
"Girls are not supposed to get tied up in this test," Orochimaru explained to Anko squirming under the robes that tied her to a post, "it would be wrong of me to leave you like that for the whole night."  
  
"Come closer," Anko asked. Orochimaru stooped down in front of her. "Kamikaze!"  
  
Anko was standing up where the post was and holding her clone that was tied to the post before she had returned to her true state. As the clone was free, she jumped to tackle Orochimaru's feet to knock him down.  
  
"Shadow clone?" Orochimaru said and saw the other Anko with his forehead protector under her bangs leap frog over her clone and held Orochmaru's hands. She started to perform handseals with him.  
  
"Die!" An explosion happened between them causing Anko to be thrown away against a rock as her shadow clone expired.  
  
"How is it possible?" Orochimaru asked. Anko leaped out of the rumble left from her fall. Anko charged at him but looped around to pick up some apples off the ground.  
  
"Hmm..." Anko stuffed her mouth, "ground apples!"  
  
She looked at the apple in her hand and saw a worm wriggling with a piece bitten out of it. Falling down, she moaned.  
  
"Anko," Orochimaru walked up to her, "you should eat stuff off the ground. Those apples aren't good for anyone."  
  
She rolled around and showed mischievous eyes as she grabbed onto his feet again.  
  
"How do you like them apples?" Anko cried as she pounced out of the tree to knock her teacher down. "Super kamikaze!"  
  
The hand seals she performed with him stopped. Her head swayed and her eyes blinked slowly. "Tree apples also no good. I'm going to throw up."  
  
The vomit projected into his face and he froze in shock. "All better now! Kamikaze!"  
  
She finished her hand seals to the same result as the first time. Orochimaru got up and wiped the vomit off himself.  
  
"It's not a forbidden jutsu," he stated, "but however, performing random handseals can be dangerous, especially using two people's charkas."

* * *

**Brick**  
  
_"Orange"_  
  
Visiting Hayate, Anko had learned about a super secretive mission that the Hokage had not given her. This propped her to stand outside the head quarters of Konoha flipping an orange brick in her. The crowd around her gave her some space as she swore incoherently.  
  
"Mutter fluckin' Hoeage," Anko threw the brick over the gate and into the window of the office of the Hokage.  
  
"Ms. Mitarshi," Sandaime said, "I demand that you show respect to the people who run this village."  
  
"Ooahhaa!" Anko shrieked and the furniture coaster stuck in her throat made her cough. She turned around to run away and knocked into a cart full of oranges. One fell on the ground. "Roed worage!"  
  
She stepped off the orange and tried to eat it but it would not keep down.  
  
"Swit!" Anko cursed and dashed off.


	11. Maito Gai

**Maito Gai...**  
  
**Bar**  
  
_"Put that in your pipe and smoke it."_  
  
"Ti's not talkin' aboot a normal pipe, but the windpipe or throat," Gai explained in his slurred voice to the bartender, "the true meaning of the phrase is sexual. Let the waydress explain it orally."  
  
Gai winked and attempted his nice guy pose but failed.  
  
"Why you son ova bitch," the bartender stabbed, "that waitress is my daughter."  
  
There was not much the bartender could do with Gai taking a large pine as he was bounced out of the bar. Gai remained in good spirits until a blur of blackness bumped into him. The container spilled on Gai.  
  
"Damn," Gai said and licked his soaked sweater. "You won't getta way fi this!"

* * *

  
**Forehead Protector  
**  
_"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."_  
  
Gai was always told to be a satisfied man. So he was not a genius? He would work hard. So he was not popular? He would work cooperatively. So he was a bit unique with his appear? He would work honestly without hiding his uniqueness. He had been referred by The Sage to this passage of the Tao De Ching: "When beautify is implied, it is sheer ugliness."  
  
Therefore, when Gai received his forehead protector, he wore it around his waist. This unorthodox wearing of the forehead protector upset the old and caught praise and jealousy from his peers. When the elders questioned about this Gai spoke on this manner.  
  
Gai said: "Have not even my elders offended those above them once they started wearing the symbol of this Village? As you have come from farmers, I have come from those who wear the leaf symbol on their brow. Only in difference can we respect a person, or else it would be self flattery."  
  
The elders were pleased with this comment and sanctioned his actions, and his peers who once teased Gai for his uniqueness came to respect him and come up with their own ways to wear their forehead protectors.  
  
"Those their actions were the same," Gai commented on his peers' change of heart, "They did not follow me. For this, I can respect them."

* * *

**Recruitment  
**  
_"Cock of the walk."  
_  
The time was ticking down close to the meeting and Gai was left for Ibiki to recruit. It was not difficult find Gai as the bartenders had spoke about Gai's bar hopping. In a moment, Ibiki found him. Gai was lying against a building sipping a clay jug full of alcohol.  
  
"You are the final member of the team to protect the Genins from the Hidden Village of Sand to join the Chuunin examination." Ibiki helped Gai to straighten up to his feet. "Your drunken fist cannot be beaten."

* * *

**Training**  
  
_"Stick to the story."_  
  
The team lead by Ibiki would leave at midnight and they would scrimmage until midnight before heading off to meet the Sand Genins. Ibiki split the teams into two. As the leader of alpha, Gai would work with Genma and Shiro. The leader of beta was Aoba who had under him, Anko and Hayate.  
  
Gai gathered his team in for a huddle. Genma's toothpick speared Gai in the face and he knocked it away from Genma.  
  
"What do you expect from Aoba?" Gai consulted Genma. He raised his head from the huddle and looked at the environment.  
  
"The wind is strong against our backs, so if we keep it that way, Aoba will not use fire attacks for fear they may repel against his teammates. He should know this is apparent to me and that we will be forced to keep this advantage." Genma mentioned. "His moves will consist of rock manipulation to block the win."  
  
"This is a field and there are trees behind us," Gai observed, "getting too close to the trees will make us lose our wind allowing Aoba to resort to offensive attacks with fire. We must hold our ground and not follow them into the forest behind them or allow them to sneak behind us. Shiro, I want you to position some of your bugs along their forest line. In my case, I can break the walls that Aoba would create and see the battle line."  
  
"So we must defend against Anko and Hayate." Shiro mentioned. "Anko has a lot of energy to waste on us. My bugs should dispel her shadow clones. If Aoba understands us as much as you say, Genma, then he will warn her to stay out of the forest for an attack. A frontal attack from her and Hayate may prove too much."  
  
"Ibiki picked these teams and environment perfectly," Gai commented, "it was almost like he wanted to have a stalemate and hope for one of the leaders to make a mistake in preparations. Then again, to give one team an advantage may cause an injury to a member and risk the mission. Ibiki's methods are psychologically stressful."  
  
"Ready, fight!" Ibiki announced. Gai and Aoba jumped back from their teams and a huge wall of rock blocked Gai from his group. He pushed against it and the people at the middle jumped to the side as the wall came crashing down. It top rested near Aoba's feet.  
  
From underneath the rock, a swarm of bugs marched to Aoba and he retreated into the forest followed by Anko.  
  
"Double team, Hayate," ordered Gai. Shiro jumped on top of fallen wall and ran across it to Hayate as Genma ran aside it having jumped to the same side as Hayate. Grabbing onto his sword handle over his back, Hayate held to fingers up close to his chest with his other hand. He split into two and slashed at Genma and Shiro. Both of them blocked but the two Hayate's faded away through them. Behind Shiro, the real Hayate dropped down slicing Shiro in half. The replacement of Shiro exploded in bugs.  
  
"And what if there is an opponent fighting both teams?" Ibiki asked as he put the wire wrapped in his hands over Gai's head to choke him. "What then?"  
  
Gai had put his hands between the wire and his neck before the wire enclosed his neck. With a back flip, Gai ducked under Ibiki's wire and returned to kick him away.  
  
"I would hope that my leader, Ibiki, would take care of that extra opponent." Gai said.  
  
"Against Itachi or Orochimaru, it is a high probably that I would die." Ibiki jumped to the side as a flame came from behind him to Gai. In his quickness, Gai escape the flame that came from the second front of the other team.  
  
"He is preparing us for a suicide mission," Gai caught on. "He is leading us to be independent from his guidance."

* * *

Next chapter: Morino Ibiki 


	12. Morino Ibiki

**Morino Ibiki...**  
  
Execution  
  
_"Last Words"  
_  
The enemy had captured him and brought him to the encampment. Ibiki had told his group of ANBU before every mission to leave him behind if the team obtained the mission objective and he was captured. They did not listen, and the enemy took Ibiki as a hostage.  
  
"They have surrounded us, captain." A red head woman from the Hidden Stone Village said entering the low lit room where they tied Ibiki down to a chair. They had took away his forehead protector that he used to over his bald and mangled head still scarred with craters; some of them have been reopened to learn about his team.  
  
He had told them only this about his team under their pressure: "If you want to survive against them, execute me outside during noon. This would benefit us both."  
  
"How so?" the captain had asked calling off his torture specialist.  
  
"I may be forced to relieve information soon, but it would be my last words," Ibiki had explained, "because I love my country as much as you love your country to gain from my final words to you. This would be useless as my team will kill you after you kill me."  
  
"As a reasonable man, I agree that would not be in anyone's inclination," the captain had shuddered, "the soldier pills have allowed us to live with our resources cut off, so your team must be deadly and we are deteriorating from the pills. But my love for my country will permit me to do irrational feats. Right now, my honour of my country is hurting your country since your espionage has done my beloved a great disservice."  
  
"And if you could hurt my country and avoid being killed by my team?" Ibiki had asked. "This would be reasonable?"  
  
"What do you have in mind?" The captain had asked. He took a metal container and drank from it out of the burning light over the captive. After a moan of relief, he wiped his mouth with his long black sleeve. "I do want to hear those last words you would have with me."  
  
"When you execute me outside, I will use my last words to re-order my team to vacant and return home." Ibiki had replied. "They will not disobey these words."  
  
"You are a desperately honourable tool of your country, and to kill you in this situation would make our countries proud." The captain had mentioned. "Tomorrow at noon, you will order your team to leave and I will kill you."  
  
"As one person who loves his country to another," Ibiki had started, "I request two simple things. One, you will not clean the blood from me so my comrades can understand what I went through for my country. The second thing, I want to die with my precious forehead protector."  
  
"Granted," the captain had said.  
  
So at noon, the five Hidden Stone Ninjas brought Ibiki outside and he dropped to his knees. The captain nodded to him.  
  
"These are my final words," Ibiki shouted, "I request to see the faces of my team."  
  
The four members came out; they all had their masks off. Uchiha Itachi, Aburame Shinobu, Yamashiro Aoba and Hatake Kakashi kneeled down a few meters away from Ibiki placing and placed their swords down.  
  
"We will kill every one last of you," Shinobu put on some blue tinted sunglasses with thin metal frames.  
  
"I will not guarantee I would never if you let him live," Itachi added receiving a hard look from his long red haired teammate and hearing a sigh from Kakashi.  
  
"Must you add crap like that?" Kakashi asked and spat to the side. "You have my word that his subordinates will not harm you or your team if Ibiki is pardoned from your incarceration. Goro, is it?"  
  
"Goro is my name," the captain replied with a smile appearing on his thinning face filled with protruding veins.  
  
"And to mention," Added Aoba, "if you do not free him, Goro, then more of your colleagues will die trying to bring you resources."  
  
"Enough," Ibiki ordered licking off a stream of slow blood coursing down his face. "You have disobeyed me once, but you will be forced to follow my request. Even you, Itachi will head back home on my request. It is for all of you to head back home to inspire the youth of my story so such love can be passed to them. Tell them in my lore that I said something profound in my last words."  
  
"No," Itachi yelled as his teammates dragged him quickly away from the explosion. Ibiki was left alone and was given his forehead protector rested down in front of him folded up with the symbol upright.  
  
"I did not want to cry in front of them," Ibiki said, "but I will miss my love. She meant so much to me and on my forehead protector on the other side of the symbol; I had her initials craved into it. Since my hands are bounded behind me, could someone rip it off my forehead protector and show me. I want her in my mind even more than my own country."  
  
"You are too sentimental," the captain spoke and ordered a member to grant the request. The guy removed the metal symbol and held it in front of Ibiki's face. Goro looked over Ibiki's shoulder to the back of the metal plate and recognized the marking. "No, it's a seal."  
  
"So long, shit sticks!" Ibiki spat blood onto the seal and the encampment blew up.

* * *

**Team Leader**  
  
_"Last resort."_  
  
The Hokage sat near Ibiki to give him a mission concerning the arrival of Itachi and Orochimaru, two S-class ninjas, to Konoha. Under careful consideration, the Hokage determined it best to allow a group of Leaf Ninjas to bring the sand Genins to the Chuunin Exam so the Genin Team could disarm the traps leaf in the Forest of Death by their previous entrances.  
  
"They do not need to know what we are doing," the Hokage said, "the Hidden Village of Sand has been cut down to prevent a war, and to allow Orochimaru or Itachi to stop them from arriving here because Wind Country did not have enough ninja resources would tarnish our reputation with the other countries and could start a war. In my judgment, to safely bring their only Genin team to Konoha will prevent war."  
  
Around them on this pergola on the roof top, birds chirped and tweeted. Ibiki nodded as he rested against a pillar with his arms crossed and looked over the dawn of Konoha.  
  
"How should I form my team?" Ibiki implored Sandaime.  
  
"Wait," the Hokage said, "you have doubts."  
  
"This does not seem like a mission a leader can win," Ibiki replied.  
  
"Now I can answer your question and dispel your doubts," Sandaime spoke, "so you wish to know how to form your team. Start with Aburame Shiro; you have worked with this clan before and had balanced the struggles between Konoha's two most notable clans: the Hyuga and Uchiha clan. Then ask for his opinion of who to choose and so on until you get six members for your team. As for your doubts of a leader to win this mission, the victory will belong to the team."  
  
"You speak the truth," Ibiki admitted, "but how long war can be prevented is unknown."

* * *

Next Chapter: Aburame Shinobu 


	13. Aburame Shinobu

**Aburame Shinobu...**  
  
**The Aburame Rites**  
  
_"10) 'Better than a thousand useless verses is one useful verse, hearing which one attains peace.'  
  
This is a Buddhist teaching. Finding a verse to replace a thousand, one could hold: 'listen to the very bottom of your heart.' Where the bottom exists, permit others to dig in further to find a boundless love. They shall find treasure for all."  
_  
Shinobu was walking in the Aburame garden that engulfed the property. Her long white skirt brushed along the bright green grass. On her path, she met with her father, the Sage who sat in mediation under a tree.  
  
"Hey, dad," Su spoke. "I had an idea for the family rites."  
  
She did not get a response so in a few days she returned to under the tree. The Sage had a response: "I have attained full concentration to hear your idea."  
  
"Here it is," she started, "When dealing with your daughter, Shinobu, don't take so long to respond."  
  
"I'll get back to you once the family rites are found," the Sage told her. She moved a string of red hair behind her ear.  
  
"The family rites are lost?" she asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then they must be written many times." Su stated. "Only things that can be destroyed can be created. This should be known as least once."

* * *

**Execution**  
  
_"11) A Hokage said: 'I do not take back my word.'  
  
Our response: 'You will take back our action to your wisdom.'_

_He was pleased and would never take back his word though he was rough, unsophisticated, and boorish. But we will remember he was honest. Honesty is above all else."_  
  
The Hidden Stone ninjas had captured their leader, and though he had requested that once they finished their mission to return to their roots of Konoha. Itachi would be the first to object to following this order, so it was decided by the subordinates to stay until the fate of Ibiki, their leader, was resolved.  
  
The encampment that they surrounded had slowly declined in numbers until the most powerful Hidden Stone ninjas remained. Now as the light of the sun fell, a new source of illumination floated around their heads in the form of fire flies.  
  
"The stones are hard and under superior control," Aoba mentioned to his team as second in command. "But, they have not dealt with the solidity of our leader."  
  
"That is not reassuring," Itachi claimed swatting away a group of fire flies from his face, "even in their ranks, they have enlisted sacrifices to appear as Ibiki. From my sharigan, I can tell their movement and gestures are not dead right with that of our leader."  
  
"From what I detect," Su said, "the incoming back up is continuing to keep us from attacking. We can hold our position at most."  
  
So, Shinobu, Kakashi, Itachi, and Aoba attended their site as the Hidden Stone Village would send dangerous blood lines as support as they recognized that a Sharigan user was there stealing secret techniques. This was no more than speculation as only if they could discover that a Hidden Leaf ninja had been there, could they put blame on that village.  
  
"The whole situation is under control," Kakashi spoke. "Have some faith, Itachi."

* * *

**After the Execution**  
  
_"12) The three don'ts of a Shinobi are the three things that taint a Shinobi's life style. They are: Sake, Sex and Spending. And what are we?"_  
  
After they retrieved, vacated and healed their leader, the four ANBU members stopped in a town as Ibiki healed. A waitress removed two pints from her tray and Itachi left a huge tip.  
  
"You are quite generous today, Itachi, what gives, giving it all away?" Su asked as Itachi drowned a shot. "Looking for a little bit extra from the servers?"  
  
He added a chuckle to his team's outburst. Hardly has he ever acted this way, in an opened way, but his team had achieved a large feat so Itachi bit down on his frustration for this one night. Kakashi, who sported Aoba's sunglasses, raised them up to wink at a group of passing ladies.  
  
"Heads down," Su warned as a Hidden Stone ninja passed through the crowd. "They shouldn't expect us to be retreating to their country, but... ah... I think I slept with that Chuunin."  
  
"What have ninjas become?" Aoba asked. The departure of Itachi overlapped any answering as they requested what he was doing.  
  
"I need some air." Itachi said and proceeded to the back door to puke.  
  
"I think we went too far with leaving him out," Su stated.  
  
The night continued under the remaining three.

* * *

**Death**  
  
_"13) Let it be said; life will end. What has a beginning ends. That is all."_  
  
Darkness surrounded Shinobu. As her fire flies propelled against the enclosing sand, the brightness blinded her. Breathing naturally, it would be the lack of air that would kill her hundreds of feet underground. At this point, the insects were working for their own benefit and she could not request them to end their struggle. They would not suffer and neither would she. She had a beginning; this was her end. 


	14. Uchiha Anu

**Uchiha Anu...**

**GO tournament**

"_Go home."_

For being in service for the public, the Leaf Military Police Corps under the leadership of an Uchiha member, Anu, held his annual Go tournament that an Uchiha won every year and he has since he has played. However, Anu decided that his eldest son, Itachi, could take over. As people were getting to their tables in the street in front of the headquarters, Anu stopped his son.

"Remember your training," Anu said and let his son go to find a table around the corner. Returning to the score table, he waited for the results to come in. The Sage won against Asuma. Itachi went to put in his results.

"Where is your opponent?" Anu asked.

"Well, there was no one left to play at my table so I had to pull someone off the street," Itachi said and reached beside him to lift Shikamaru over the high table. "I didn't want to have fewer matches than everyone else."

"I suppose it cannot be helped," Anu said. "Better luck next time, boy."

"He won," Itachi said.

"Go home," Anu ordered Itachi and then asked Shikamaru, "What's your name, little boy?"

"Do you want to tell me again?" Itachi pushed the table in front of his father causing Shikamaru to fall off to the ground. "Do you think I want to be here?"

"Shikamaru," Shikato said, "where were you? Sorry officer, for the meddling of my son, he can wander off like the Cloud."

"I'm out of here," Itachi then said before he stormed off, "you are a worthy opponent."

"You should not apologize for your son, Shikato." Anu said. "He has beaten, though bad tempered, an exceptional player."

"His mother and I don't like him competing," Shikato said, "all that effort, and lessons and whatever. And the disappointment when we are too caught up in our son's victory that we can't ask him if he wants to compete or not. And what if he loses?"

"Shut up, you," the Sage punched him in the shoulder. He turned to Anu. "I don't know who you are."

"Master Aburame," Anu said, "you are here every year! And each time that you have played against me you have forfeited before we get to play and thank me for hosting.

"Is he speaking to your son," The Sage asked Shikato.

"No," Shikato said.

"Do you know about my memory lost?" The Sage asked.

"Yeah, you tell me every time we meet," Shikato said, "do I have to show you that movie again?"

"What do you want?" Anu tapped his pencil on the desk.

"Speak to your son," the Sage said, "I wish I had a son."

"You have three sons and two daughters," Anu corrected the Sage.

"Is that my son?" The Sage pointed at Shikamaru.

"Enjoy," Shikato tried to pass his son off to the Sage but Shikamaru bit him in the hand. "Hey, let's try to drop you off with Inoshin."

"But Ino is there!" Shikamaru grumbled as Shikato walked him away.

"_A father who cannot remember his kids," _Anu thought, _"and a father trying to put his son off, I am the only normal parent."_

"The father of Shinto, Shinobu, Shiko, Shiro, Shino," the Sage listed off his children, "and the teacher of Itachi, that is who I am. Now that I have noticed Itachi and see his relationship with his father, I am acting to intervene on this problem. It is a saying of my clan that if one member dies before becoming enlightened, then everyone older must die for their failure. As well, I forfeit, and thank you for hosting."

The Sage left and Anu's youngest son, Sasuke came up.

"Where's brother?" Sasuke asked.

"He's lost." Anu answered.

* * *

**Homework Help**

"_Outside."_

"Father," Itachi said bringing his notebook and textbook into the kitchen, "I am having problems with this problem."

"Good," Anu stated, "that is its duty."

"Well," Itachi said, "couldn't you give me some help? I don't think this throw in possible."

"It doesn't have to be," Anu said, "it is only a simplification of how it could work."

"Anu," Itachi's mother said, "I think you can help him with his problem.

"Never mind, I think I can throw a kunai to hit the target; it would give me extra credit." Itachi stated and ran outside.

"That's my son." Anu said.

"And that is why he wouldn't come to us for help," Emi said.


	15. Uchiha Itachi Part Two

**Uchiha Itachi...**

**Invasion**

"_Homecoming"_

The Sage scrolled down the main wall of the village. The sound of the destruction was muffled. He spotted two people in peasant hats beneath him. Leaping off the wall, he landed in front of them. One of them had a large sword wrapped in white cloth tied to his back with a wide strap and buckle. This swordsman was a head taller than his companion. Their faces hid under a white veil and they both wore black long robes with high flaring neck collars. Another design of the robes was red clouds outlined with white.

"I regret the state of my village, visitors," the Sage apologized and bowed before them. "Pardon my rudeness when asking you to come tomorrow for the sake of your safety."

The two men removed their hats. One had a bony face covered in gray skin marked with gills under his eyes. The smaller one had black shoulder long hair and red sharigan eyes. The sage looked up, "Why have you disrespected what it means to be a ninja, travelers?" The sage asked. "You are wearing marred forehead protectors. Identify yourself."

"Where is your protector? Itachi," the larger one began, "why doesn't he recognize you? I thought you were infamous here?"

"He would not notice any of his students," Itachi told Kisame, "but I would not forget my master or his forehead protector." Itachi tapped on the scrape along his forehead protector. "Your introduced me to my favourite chapter of Tao De Ching called Virtue.

'Who understands the world is learned;

Who understands the self is enlightened;

Who conquers the world has strength;

Who conquers the self has harmony.

Who is determined has purpose;

Who is contented has wealth.

Who defends his home may long endure;

Who surrenders his home may long survive it.'"

"Virtue? Has your mind been purified of evil thoughts?" The sage asked.

Itachi turned to his partner. "This is not a good match for me." He threw a kunai at his still master, and a log replaced him. "I could not see his hand seals."

Kisame unlatched his sword and cut through the sage who was behind them. It ruptured in bugs that shed towards Kisame. They jumped away from the swarm. "How can your sharigan not see his hand seals?"

"The sharigan is the greatest bloodline limit to uncover form, but the Aburame clan has substance in the Way, and it is more subtle than the world." Itachi said. The sage formed a group of clones that contained the two in a circle.

"Forgive my rudeness once again," the Sage repeated who was sitting against the wall at the top of the circle, "but I must request for the purpose of your safety that you return tomorrow."

"Is that the true one?" Kisame wondered. The Sage got up and removed his coat and the arms went as well. Underneath his coat, he wore a purple shinobi vest and his hands held in a seal at his chest. His left forearm was covered in tattoos. The other clones blew up in bugs and clouds of smoke. "You used your bugs as fake arms so you could perform seals under your large coat. I'm impressed. But what are you going to do now? Where are you going from here?"

"Nothing, and nowhere," the sage answered. "You are confided here as am I. My destruction bugs can do more than replicate the body and limbs."

Itachi looked over with his half closed eyes to the boundary of the circle. "They can turn into seals." He stated and his purple painted nails moved over his face and moved some hair out of the way. "This is not what we came for; we must be mindful of our task."

"Give me your words that you will not return until tomorrow, and I will set you free." The sage offered.

"Very well," Itachi said, "I will give you my word."

"You would accept the word of two outcasts?" Kisame grinned widely taking up the lower half of his face with sharp teeth. "Itachi has slaughtered his clan."

"As his teacher," the Sage said, "failure for keeping his word should end in my life. That is the respect I give to those who were under me. I will always take any man for his word."

"You are gullible," Itachi told him. The symbols moved away and the bugs entered the Sage.

"I may soon forget it." The Sage said.

* * *

**GO Training**

"_Bottom Feeder"_

A white perfectly oval stone weighted Itachi to the bottom of the lake as he dropped it into a shoulder length square made by a grid of wood planks. Itachi floated up from the lake and swam to the shore to where Anu was sitting at a Go table.

"This is my move," Anu showed his son, "now put my piece on your board."

Itachi took a breath, and picked up a black piece in two hands as it had to be big enough to not be moved by accident.

"Also grab a piece for your move, Itachi," Anu commanded, "in one dive, wherever your piece goes will stick. I will be checking to board to your board when we are finished."

* * *

**Participation Award**

"_He could have tuned in, tuned in, but he tuned out."_

Itachi hit the ashes of his joint into his participation award that he received from the tournament. His mom had asked him to keep it because Sasuke had such a great day until Itachi left. He was left with nothing though, and he just had a confrontation with the police. Like a sleight of hand, the award was thrown into the glass of the display case he had kept his other trophies in.

"Damn," Itachi swore.

* * *

**I-Ching**

Itachi went into an old tea shop and sat next across from a younger girl with long red hair.

"Shiko, right?" Itachi asked.

"Correct," Shiko responded to the question if she was not her twin sister, Shinobu. Itachi had mostly worked with Shinobu, but Shiko had wished her sister farewell while he was around. Itachi gave her three gold coins and she tossed them on the table and collected them back up six times before putting them away. "You seem to have already chosen your destiny, why should I explain it to you?"

"I do not know if I have broken the container of fate, yet." Itachi mentioned.


	16. Inuzuka Kikyou

**Inuzuka Kikyou…**  
  
**Graduation**  
  
Kagome and her mother Kikyou waited for Kiba to exit the washroom up the hall and down the stairs were the front entrance was.  
  
"You can make conversations, Kagome," Kikyou mentioned. "You don't have to be so quiet to your mother."  
  
"Why don't we talk about our favourite colour, and keep it light. Oh right, I don't see any colours, but people highly recommend green since this colour strives well in nature." Kagome retorted. "Well, well, it is my brother, Kiba."  
  
"You look sharp, now rush out to make it in time," Kikyou said and drew some war paint on Kiba. She looked down at Akamaru who was dressed in a black tuxedo. "Don't dress your dog up!"  
  
"Hinata said that he would look cute," Kiba said joyfully. "What guy in my position not does that?"  
  
"Is Hinata your special girl?" Kagome asked.  
  
"She's a teammate," Kiba answered and kneeling down to speak into Akamaru's ear, "And Shino said that he would be owned."  
  
"Shino? Are you his bitch?" Kagome said and ran out the door as Kiba charged at her.  
  
"Watch him try and die tonight!" Kiba shouted.  
  
"Now onto a mission," Kikyou said, "Kuromaru!"  
  
Invasion of the Body Snatcher  
  
It was night, and along the back alleys, Kikyou and her dog, Kuromaru, hear a faint half heart yell. But the sound someone might make if he dropped his lit cigarette did not fool either of them who could smell the fear as if he looked under his feet and saw a puddle of gasoline heading up to the pump.  
  
Hayate was found when Kikyou jumped onto the rooftops. His arms wrapped around his chest. Kuromaru started to find the scent of the assaulter, as Kikyou approached Hayate.  
  
"Why is every single missing-nin of this village have to attack me?" Hayate questioned to no one and coughed. "It was Otohime." "Kuromaru, get the attacker," Kikyou ordered. "We are going to need immediate medical attention."  
  
"I just got out of the hospital." Hayate droned and coughed. "Not like Otohime always doesn't have three lungs."  
  
"She is definitely from a meddlesome clan," she noted.

* * *

**Blindness**  
  
In the brightly lit waiting room, Kikyou sat down at a table and crossed one leg over the other so she could balance her clipboard. She smelt a familiar person and saw Hinata in hospital clothes and a black band over her eyes. Leading her way was a stick.  
  
"Hello, Hinata," Kikyou added to be polite, "it's Kiba's mom, Kikyou."  
  
"Hello, Mrs. Inuzuka," Hinata said, "I heard that Akamaru is doing better, but Kiba was angry because no one here would treat his dog."  
  
"What happened to your eyes?" Kikyou inquired.  
  
"In a fight, ah," Hinata found a chair, "Shino's bugs were attracted to my eyes because the charka that I concentrate in my eyes during the Byakugan."  
  
"You are getting to know your teammates well," Kikyou expressed, "Now you should punish Shino for what happened." 


	17. Inuzuka Kagome Part Two

**Inuzuka Kagome…**  
  
**Departure**  
  
The seven ninjas gathered outside the front gates of Konoha for a meeting before heading out. Kagome, Asuma, Kakashi, and Iruka were there placing the party's equipment and giving them advice. Shiro and Aoba stood cleaning their sunglasses but they quickly put them back on as Kagome sprayed them with an aerosol can.  
  
"I don't smell anything," Aoba said. "Has it been created to emulate the normal odors of Konoha?"  
  
"Yep," she handed him a few more cans, "and these should mask other environments and countries. So, what happened with your fight with Itachi or Orochimaru, Shiro?"  
  
"Ask, Iruka or Kurenai, because I remember carrying on a bender with Gai." Shiro admitted. "Should I wish you luck on your mission?"  
  
"How did you know that I had a mission?" Kagome inquired.  
  
"I figured you had something like that since you only talk to me when you have something to brag about." Shiro answered and walked away deploying a kunai that hung out of his sleeve and in the air; it quickly returned when he flicked his wrist up.  
  
"Asshole," Kagome said. "Iruka, Asuma, and I are going to be joining another party of Stone Country who may need assistance getting to Konoha. Then we head to The Rain Country and wait for your team, Aoba. Good luck!"

* * *

**Purple Pills**  
  
The Inuzuka clan is known for its use of soldier pills that does not enchant a clan more than theirs. Down at a basement night club that played dance music, Kagome nodded at the makeshift bouncer, Hayate, who worked officially as a guard in this area and worked on the side as a bouncer. Kagome kicked his foot to wake him from his chair that held the door open. He woke up and checked his vest for his joints.  
  
"Just because you are doing two jobs, Hayate," Kagome mentioned, "doesn't mean you should slack off twice as much."  
  
"Can I see your ID?" he held his hand out. Kagome sighed and reached into her black pants to hand him a bribe. "Go ahead."  
  
Kagome tripped over Hayate's foot and into the club where she bumped into one of the waiters who sat at a table. People around were calling for their drinks over the bass heavy music.  
"Sorry about that." Kagome said and found the waiter was sleeping. "Hayate?"  
  
She looked around to the door and saw Hayate sleeping at the post allowing more minors to come in, as Kagome raised Hayate's head up from the table that had spilled with drinks, blood, and glass.  
  
"Shadow clones?" Kagome said, "Must be to take on more jobs."  
  
The clones puffed up with smoke.  
  
"Uh? I have heard that Hayate is able to take on two B-class missions as the same time," Kagome pulled a pill out of her purse and swallowed it. "Oh well."

* * *

**Support Recruitment**  
  
For some teams to get to the Chuunin Exams, they would have to go through danger, which was why many of the tournaments were held in the Hidden Leaf Village as it could provide the safest place to allow ninjas from other countries to visit. Hearing requests from many countries, and the concern of the Hokage for what may happen with the Sand Genins, he requested a second team to join a few countries and meet up with the Sand Genins at The Rain Country so they could solve their problems with a combined force. Asuma would be the leader, and was requested to take Iruka and Kagome since they had current experience fighting who they may encounter.  
  
"Kagome," Asuma shouted and she stirred from the park bench. "Will you be ready for a mission?"  
  
"I need a week's notice, that is what the schedule is for," Kagome said blocking her eyes from the noon sun passing through the spaded leaves. "I'm already late for a scheduled mission from the smell of things."  
  
"The smell of things?" Asuma inquired.  
  
"The Raman shop has just started to cook its special. That is quarter to noon." Kagome said. "It is Monday because in the garbage it smells like yesterday's Sunday press."  
  
"You can't tell the day by the smell of the newspaper in the garbage." Asuma stated.  
  
"Not if I didn't throw up on it yesterday and put it there," Kagome said. 


	18. Aburame Shiko

Aburame Shiko…  
  
Name  
  
"14) If you do not know, get to know someone who does. That should motivation you to do so."  
  
Shikato asked the Sage: "Since all of your children's name start with 'Shi', should you suspect your name also does?"  
  
"Shi, shi," the Sage started, "shit. Is it Shikato?"  
  
"That's my name!" he yelled.  
  
"Oh, then, are you related to me?" The Sage asked.  
  
"Father, why didn't you get your name tattooed to you?" Shiko asked.  
  
"Who gets his name tattooed to himself?" The Sage responded.  
  
"He would be a man without difficulties giving me his name." Shiko said.  
  
I-Ching  
  
"15) Confucius said: 'If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the YÎ and might then escape failing into great errors.'  
  
So it may be recommended to understand the I-Ching. Performing the rules as much as a devoted gambler should a least pay off a few times, but will remain a harmless hobby while relaxing."  
  
"You have gotten The MANG Hexagram. The first line is six, divided. Punishment should be used to get rid of ignorance and remove the limitations of the mind." Shiko said. "But this punishment may lead to regret."  
  
"Understood," Itachi said spreading his feet apart and dragging them along the dirt. He was now leaned back in his chair. "And the second line?"  
  
"It is nine, undivided." She stated. "You are exercising restrain with the ignorant. Who may this be? Your family?"  
  
"They are holding me back," Itachi said and pulled his bangs from his face.  
  
"The second line also says that you are a son who people would call the support of your father's burdens." Shiko said. "The third line of a divided six, says you should not marry a woman who wants a man of power or status."  
  
"As an Uchiha, I get that a lot," Itachi said.  
  
"The four line is six, divided," she said. "It states that you are bounded by ignorance, and have regret for that problem."  
  
"Then my reaction will be without regret." Itachi pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He tabbed off the ashes in an empty tea cup.  
  
"I was using that cup to tell someone else's fortune," Shiko dumped the contents on the ground.  
  
"Sorry," Itachi said.  
  
"The fifth line is six, divided. You are simple without much understanding." Shiko said. "You should hold onto this for good luck."  
  
"That has already been lost," Itachi said.  
  
"The sixth and last line, speak as you are smiting the ignorant, in this case the younger." Shikato then asked. "You have a younger brother, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, he has entered the academy," Itachi mentioned.  
  
"It would be to your advantage to not ward off injury to him." She said. "Like my clan says, 'if a younger member dies without awaking, then anyone older should take their own life."  
  
"It would be interesting to see if Sasuke awakes," Itachi got out of his chair, "then I could test to see if I have truly awake."  
  
Death  
  
"16) Let it be said; the moment exists. What is a moment is. That is all."  
  
In the dark cavern, Shiko felt a stab through her back shoulder and through her chest. The object that cut through her protruded with more spikes that Shiko stopped with her forearm. Five spikes came out of her forearm. Her breathing gargled her blood but she remained calm. Nothing was left but a shell filled with wise men's point of view. 


	19. Gekkou Hayate Part Two

**Gekkou Hayate...**  
  
**Departure**  
  
_"Losers deal with what is coming next, and completely forget that I called them losers."  
_  
Hayate was resting at a trunk of a tree overlooking his fellow group members talk about the upcoming mission. He got some pills from his pocket and then chased them down his throat with a gush of water from his bottle.  
  
They had just finished training for the mission and now they were going to run cross country in the dense forests to avoid detection and into caves to shorten time. Thinking of this, Hayate lost focus in his eyes. "We're probly goin' to haveta pop soldier pills, with the pills I am taking already…craprolla, I can't tell them apart."  
  
"Deadhead, Deadhead, do you read me?" the clear loud voice of Anko rang into his head set. He muttered his acknowledgement. "This is the Hokage!"  
  
"Nah, no," Hayate said, "ain't it, Anko?"  
  
"These are code names!" Anko revealed. "You're deadhead, I am the Hokage, Gai is Drunky, Genma's Shrooms…"  
  
"Woah, hold up, lady," Hayate interrupted. "Let's not get silly with nicknames or imagining to be things we ain't. Here's my purpose for this mission. We meet with the Sand Genins, and talk to them on the way to see if they know why they would be targeted by Itachi and Orochimaru. It will be gotten to, so ease up."

* * *

**Purple Haze**  
  
_"Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Not like the frying pan over a fire wais doing you any good."_  
  
Hayate only liked to work a few nights a week, so to keep up rent and his cost to his partying life style, he would take a few jobs while slacking off at all of them. His superiors never known, though he would only take simple jobs like being a bouncer or garden or deliver newspaper. These would be shadow clones as he stood up on a rooftop at the centre of his boundary and smoked a few cigarettes.  
  
"Remember, if they ask me of why I am everywhere," Hayate said to himself, "to say that they are out on patrol and undercover."  
  
This was the reason he did not notice Otohime and did not notice Itachi. The red haired woman dressed in blue ran through him and left with his lung.  
  
"My cigarette, ah!" Hayate fell backwards on broke a plastic foot rest.  
  
"I'll be borrowing this," Otohime said.  
  
Bingo Book "Bingo: game or program?"  
  
Each time a ninja abandoned the village, if they were dangerous enough, then they were added to the bingo book. Hayate was interviewed by Suzume. Last time they reported Itachi.  
  
"Here name is Otohime, she is one of the immortal kamis with the power to remove organs and put them in her without rejection. Her purpose was not acquired." Hayate signaled the nurse to put his respirator back over his mouth.  
  
"Sorry for your misfortune," she said, "I will recommend Kurenai to retrieve her and your organ."

* * *

**Soldier Pills**  
  
_"If you have three days to live, I recommend you have a soldier pill. Or is it that if you have a soldier pill, I recommend you life your three days like it was the last of your life?"_  
  
Hayate stood against a tree outside the group around a fire.  
  
"Please don't have soldier pills," Hayate mumbled. Ibiki reached into his pocket. "Oh no."  
  
A large blur walked up to him and handed him a pill.  
  
"Crap," Hatake swallowed the pill and sneezed. He banged his head against the tree and the trunk cracked. The softest wind sounded forceful carrying distinctive smell that allowed the nose to direct the head. His attention and memory faded quickly to walking around eager to fight. He saw Anko cutting off the thin bark of a tree and writing on the pale stripped layer. He walked over to her.  
  
"What are you, uh, what are you doing? Doing, how are you?" He asked itching wrist as a bug landed on him. "These pills are too much, because I need to relax, but not like this. This should only be used in battle."  
  
"Huh-huh, ah, yep!" Anko nodded her head shaking the head set a bit. Reaching behind her ear, she pulled out a wire. Her trench coat was pulled back to show a CD player. "Continue on."  
  
They all heard a beep on their headsets that Ibiki started.  
  
"We are going to head to the Fire Country and the Wind Country boarder." Ibiki instructed. "Follow Aoba." 


	20. Haku

**Haku...**

**A Tool**

After having heard the story of the fight between Shinto and Yorimasa, He brought Zabuza to inspect the situation.

"Aburame Shinto, unregistered ninja, like yourself, and a leaf informant of Orochimaru." Zabuza said. "He was by Orochimaru's side during the Mist Seven/Akatsuki Alliance. Since Orochimaru has left the Akatsuki Organization, Yorimasa may be here to give us orders that our partners need our support."

"And Shinto was sent by Orochimaru to kill Yorimasa?" Haku asked. "Have I done the proper action in regards to him?"

"If I see any mistakes," Zabuza said, "I'll point them out."

"And what is the plan?" Haku asked.

"Orochimaru is no longer a member of the Akatsuki." Zabuza said. "We will offer our services to the alliance."

* * *

** Mountain Side**

From the bushes, Haku and Zabuza saw two ninjas leap across the water that reflected the red sunset. Raising a hand to his chest, Zabuza caused a mist over the pond. He heard the feet stopping and ran into the mist with Haku.

"Secret Jutsu: Demonic Ice Mirrors." Haku summoned causing a large dome of mirrors. He stepped into closest to him and merged into the mirror. A glare running across each mirror rendered an image of Haku.

"Gekkou Hayate, and Aburame Shiro," Zabuza noted, "I see and according to the bingo book, Hayate, you are known for encountering the most S-Class criminals, but it has gone too well. And, an Aburame member..."

"Shut up by now," Hayate drew out his sword from over his back. "I don't care."

At the lowest depths of the pond, about ten feet, an Ice Mirror laid on the rocky surface and in its green debris ridden water. Haku departed from the lowest mirror to bolt in front of Shiro who jumped away. Shiro hung over catching his breath.

"Well," Shiro got down to one knee and splashed some water on his face, "I am prepared to listen to you."

Haku jumped up to the top mirror to keep ahead of a kunai that emerged from below him. He darted out of the mirror before the kunai shattered it and returned to a low lying mirror.

"Charka line," Haku wondered as he saw the kunai retrace its path to draw up Shiro's navy green sleeve with a harsh clanging clatter. Blades fell out of his large overcoat. Haku counted two lines of blades spin around Shiro as they changed their direction to cover more area. Looking at a mirror across the dome and on the next level, Haku released himself towards it. When Haku reached a high above him, he threw a needle at Shiro who had a sword drop from his sleeve into his hand. It bypassed the circles of blades, but Shiro deflected the needle away from his head with his sword. The rings bounced back to their rotation as they skimmed on the water. "The coordination of the defense has to be precise, and therefore, he will usually have an unprotected spot above his head."

Reflecting to mirror to mirror, Haku casted needles at Shiro who averted them until Haku dove into the water and dolphin kicked under Shiro to throw a needle into his leg. The needle pierced into the back of Shiro's leg and out the front above the knee. In a summersault, Shiro ended the spin of the rings and collected the blades into an arm's length spin around his waist. Then the Aburame member landed under the opening, and broadened the circuit of the blades to overtake the ice mirrors on the lowest level above the water. The circle slowed down as it slashed Hayate who fractured into wood. Haku sighed as Zabuza spattered into water.

Under the water, Haku entered the lowest mirror and observed a grid running in the boarder of Demonic Ice Mirrors. Sending a needle to intersect a streak running along the water, a kunai plunged down with the needle but joined the grid again where there was an undisturbed patch of water hit with a blunt wave.

"All the lines consist of kunais running along the top of the water," Haku noted as he sat jets shot down from the water. At any moment there were three empty places that disappeared with a deep gush in the water. Haku placed his hand over his chest and chanted: "Flying Water Needles."

When the kunais sunk down, Haku returned to the top of the water where Shiro held a bamboo handled umbrella over his head with streams of water flowing over the purple mesh.

"May we fight again," Shiro promised. Haku passed out.


	21. Shiranui Genma Part Two

**Shiranui Genma...**

**Code Names**

"_Be a critic, shit on literature." (written on toilet paper)_

Ibiki called up to Aoba to stop and signaled with his hand to stop and have a meeting. They all dropped down the high branches of the trees and adjusted suddenly to have seen the dark ground. Genma looked down at the base of the trees for mushrooms. A strong whistle turned him to the group and he joined them.

"Anko has double dosed on soldier pills and will not be ready to go down into the tunnels in the mountain." Ibiki said. "So we are going to have to split up into two groups of two and one of three. Group one is Gai, and Genma, who will head into northern tunnels, and the next pair is Hayate and Shiro. That will leave the third team, Anko, Aoba and myself. And because Anko has agreed to this, we now have to swear on our way of the ninja to use the nicknames she will provide to us."

Anko walked up to Gai and whispered in his ear.

"My way of the ninja is to train Rock Lee to exceed my level or die trying." Gai said proudly. The group laughed at his life's goal.

"You're still mad that Kakashi was your team's original teacher and failed them again because he thought they were not intended to become ninjas." Anko said. "Especially when he had said that Rock Lee reminded him of you."

"He is a heartless rival," Gai said. "My nickname is Kakashi. I wear to respond to it by my way of the ninja."

Anko then told Genma his nicknamed. He nodded and straightened up to recite his way of the ninja. He rolled his eyes up and looked the green leaves under the early sun.

"My new name now is Blaster Master," Genma stated, "and on my way of the shinobi, or something else, ninja, which is to spend my life in a relaxing job. My last fight was my Chuunin exam. I have my special Jounin rank because of academy ability."

"Shiro, you said that this would be a good person to enlist on this team," Ibiki said.

"I said that Genma would pick the best candidate," Shiro retorted.

"You are dismissed, Gai and Genma," Ibiki said, "keep your microphones on to hear the other code names. Sorry, Kakashi and Blaster Master."

Gai and Genma jumped off and tuned in their head sets.

"They are announcing, Hayate and Aoba, Kakashi." Genma shouted to Gai. They both stopped.

"My name is Kakashi." Gai shook his head.

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, how tragic," Genma stated. They headed off again.

**Departure**

"_A journey of ten thousand kilometers begins with one step, and ends with one step. Kindda repetitive doncha think?"_

Genma yawned and then took a slip of water from his bottle. It was close to midnight at the gate of the village. A waving hand caught his attention and he removed his headphones and turned his head to Kakashi and Iruka. He nodded and returned to watching an owl in a distant tree up the path away from the village.

"Wake up!" Kakashi told Genma.

"What were you thinking about the mission?" Iruka asked.

"Nothing by and large," Genma said.

"Hayate is the Jounin in the sunglasses?" Kakashi asked.

"No, that is Aoba," Iruka corrected him.

**Mountain Side**

"_Life ain't a bitch, so you gotta make someone your bitch." (Written under the weekly grocery list)_

The morning arrived as Gai and Genma reached the northern tunnels. Genma spit out his toothpick that finished the pack and reached down to pluck out a long piece of grass. He pulled it up against his dark blue pants to wipe off the dew before he put it in his mouth. The blade crunched and he spit out the root. He heard a hard scrapping, and looked at Gai who was brushing his teeth.

"What you doing, ah, Kakashi," Genma asked. He removed the toothbrush from his mouth and raised a canister up to his mouth so he could cover his spit.

"Even though we will not be eating until Rain Country," Gai said, "a ninja should wash their face and brush their teeth each morning."

"And I wished to visit the temple every morning," Genma turned to the direction of the temple and prayed with his hands together. "Give us the strength to show mercy to our enemy."

"I could use a stiff one right now," Gai said.

"And help Kakashi to suppress his homosexual urges." Genma added. Gai laughed full heartily.

"True, that modern pervert can only get it from a book," Gai smiled but retracted his happiness to throw his tooth brush at Genma. "I was referring to a drink."

"Riiiight!" Genma laughed. "After you brushed your teeth?"


	22. Aburame Shiro Part Two

**Aburame Shiro...**

**The Hokage**

"_17) The third Hokage has been referred to as the Professor. It is said that he knows every jutsu in the Fire Country. When I spoke to him of his title, he regretted having it. The Professor added, 'I would lose the title if people in this country developed more techniques, but this lost is nothing to the gain of a strong country.'_

_I had disagreed on this manner. The Professor has prevented the danger for the people to make more jutsus. They are an appropriate amount of techniques to persist."_

The sun was low in its rise. Sandaime lead Hiashi and Shiro down the field along the trees at a quick pace. Following the black clad Hokage, Shiro lagged and threw his arms down in dismay. He let them run ahead and plunged his stooped body next to a tree trunk. His breathing was feeble and he pulled down his scarf. Sticking a finger down his throat, he threw up the black bugs clogging his air way.

"You are only a quarter of the way done this run," Sandaime said. "Get up now, or start from the beginning."

"Can't concentration on keeping the bugs still," Shiro told him. "what's more, they're heavy and hungry."

"Itachi wouldn't..." he gulped dragging his voice box over the tip of the blade that Shiro had swiped out of his sheath. Sandaime did not thrust aside the sword, but he frowned deeply upon Shiro's murky shades. "Let ease be with you, young ninja."

With great exertion, Shiro began to pull himself up against the tree. He came to a slight lean, and kept his sword pointed at the Hokage. Hiashi's pure white eyes inspected the still composure of Sandaime's slumping face.

"It has been predestined," she spoke and activated her eyes that blocked blood in the veins near her head, "you cannot beat him."

Her insight penetrated behind the layers of Shiro to his inners where she watched the colony of bugs swarm throughout his body. Deep in his stomach, she detected two hands clapping together but could not warn Sandaime. On the final seal, the two hands dissolved into bugs and shot out of Shiro's mouth in a line and around Sandaime's neck.

Bringing his forearm down on the line, Sandaime brought Shiro to his knees. The line of bugs cut at Shiro's lips and fell down in between his hands. "Self destruct."

The end Shiro held released from his hand and wrapped around the Hokage's neck and exploded in spikes of blue charka. Sandaime jumped away and coughed. Hiashi prepared for battle.

"The gentle fist will only make me stronger," Shiro stated stopping Hiashi. "Now, where am I?"

"Shiro, extra laps," Sandaime ordered.

"And who are you?" Shiro asked.

* * *

**Code Names**

"_18) Hold onto compassion, even if the public entitled what you hold by some other name. Once a person ran away with money that was in my possession, I did not pursue him. When my own mother called me weak for not taking what belonged to me, I did not say a word to correct her that I was compassionate to that thief's suffering in his lust for the root of all evil, because I was compassionate to my mother's suffering in her ignorance of the root of all my contentment. When she witnessed my ease after the robbery and my gratification to hear her criticism, her praise for my contentment under those circumstances was nameless. I would not call that a weak vocabulary, because no one could miss a word."_

After clearing up Hayate and Aoba's code names, Shiro leaned to towards Anko as she cupped her hand and placed it ahead of his ear. He could fell the blood pulsating on the side of her hand as she whispered his code name to him. He acknowledged her and she back away to hear his pledge.

"Aburame Shiro, here, now The Stage," he said as he pulled down his scarf, "and I hold that name for this mission to my way of the ninja. The long version, naw, to the shit with rites, my way is what I do and what I am going to do. So long."

Shiro and Hayate head off from the group keeping their headsets buzzing in their ears.

"Guildenstern," Shiro said.

"Did we resolve that I would be Rosencrantz?" Hayate removed his sword and cut through a low lying branch that was in their way as they ran down in the ground. "What is it, the Stage?"

"Got anything planned after this mission," Shiro asked.

Hayate adjusted his pack and rolled his eyes up so that his dead beat eyelids covered all but a sliver of the lower part of his eyes with ruptured blood vessels. Shiro repeated the question, and Hayate uttered, "Just a moment," pulling out his time sheet.

"Painless instructions on tournament rules," Hayate read from the shaking letters, "and then I am refereeing the Chuunin final exam."

"Woah," Shiro stated. "In cartoons, the referees never last!"

"Any references?" Hayate asked.

"Well, um, there's _Code Name: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,_ and the unforgettable, _dot Hack: Sign That the Referee Dies, _also _What Ever Happened to Referee Jones._"

"And to mention, _Referee: the Conquered," _Hayate said, "Wait! How about the referee from Dragon Ball Z, he has been alive forever?"

"This isn't Dragon Ball Z," Shiro stated, "when you die, you are going to say dead."

"Worst wishes for you, too," Hayate chuckled.

* * *

**Substance**

"_19) When deciding whether or not to partake in a substance that the public would declare would put you under the so-called influence, judge the good and the bad. If it does wrong to others, then avoid taking it as you shall influence others. However, recall the Lao Tzu's saying:_

'_3. Motion conquers cold._

_Quietude conquers heat._

_Purity and clearness are the world's standard.'_

_Such a random quote, and better read under the influence."_

The kitchen was dark, and every direction he could look at spoke with its darkest spots, the location of a hidden camera, or cobweb with some chatty spider. Shiro chuckled and pulled his index finger under his blood shot eye. He walked over the cold titles that pricked his bare feet all the way to a brown rug right in front of the fridge. He reached deep inside and pulled out a clear bottle of golden beer. He put the bottle into his sleeve of his purple rugged rope and returned opened. He closed the fridge door as he took a drink. The lights came on brightly and Shiro held the bottle to his eyes to shade the light. He looked up over the island in the middle and saw his little brother Shino.

"Ah, Shino," Shiro titled his head to the side spilling the beer. "What can I do you for? Better make it quick, my gas is almost out."

"Why is brother acting so weird?" Shino said.

"Shinto has always been a bit weird, but one day he will bring back that milk." Shiro hand flashed Shino a perfect sign. He put down his drink on the table. "I thought you removed your headband?"

"I have honestly merit the permission to wear this," Shino started to whistle the Zelda theme music as he raised his hand to tap on the metal badge carved with the leaf symbol on his head band. "What's got you on the wrong side of my backhand?"

"Them fighting words," He shook his head and grinned sloppily. Grabbing the bottle by the neck, he brought it down on the counter's edge. He looked over to the green glowing digital clock on the stove. It was two in the morning. "I gotta get going."

Shiro walked by Shino.

"Brother, what does it mean to be strong like you?" Shino asked. A chair at the table squeaked along the floor. Shiro pulled off his house coat and then pulled down on his normal shinobi coat.

"I would have to control you to make you understand my strength," Shiro sat down on the chair but then stood up. "I have to train with the Hokage."

**Tsukiyomi**

"_20) Illusions are caused by the excess of effort when observing reality. The proper amount of effort should be none. It is natural."_

Iruka finished pulling out wires and stringing them to both walls. Shiro watched as Itachi jumped into the wall to avoid the flame emerging from Gai. Taking a step off the window ledge, Shiro took a fall down to Itachi and grabbed Itachi around the neck. Iruka cut a cord, and Shiro and Itachi soared up along the wall.

When they stopped rising, Itachi opened his red eyes. As an attribute of the sharigan, the threatening three tailed dots in each eye bonded with the iris.

And now Shiro found himself attached to a crucifix over a black ocean with no reflection of the dark clouds or the red sky. Itachi stood ahead of him; a simple outline of what his shadow was including white contours to show some features of his crossed face.

"Welcome my world," Itachi said. The cross released Shiro as it converted into branches that diverged to many. "Impossible."

Soon the branches were obscured by white leafs. Shiro turned his head up into the tree.

"Pipal tree, isn't that right?" Shiro said, "Ideal creation, stranger."

He squatted down against the tree. Reaching his hand, he spread his fingers in amazement.

"I must have been reborn," he spoke to himself, "I was once the fruit of a tree and had fall to sprout, but I do diverge from my previous father." A leaf landed between his out stretched fingers. "Somewhat."

"Tsukiyomi, Tsukiyomi!" Itachi shouted. The red moon dropped from the sky and contracted until it could fit into Itachi's hand. "Explain why he is not under my control."

"The Bodhi tree protected him," said the god, "It is a symbol of Gautama's enlightenment. This realm reinforced his spirit."

"Damn," Itachi swore and they were back into the darkness of reality. Shiro took a swing at Itachi but missed as Itachi knocked away the hand that was holding him and kicked off the wall.

"You do not have the indulgence to blink," Shiro said spinning himself around to stand up right. Itachi landed on a wire. "I'll kill you for not taking me seriously." 


End file.
